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Schott's Whipsnake Juvenile

Home »» Snakes »» Colubridae (Colubrids) »» Schott's Whipsnakes »» Schott's Whipsnake Subspecies (Masticophis schotti)


Schott's Whipsnake Subspecies (Masticophis schotti)STATUS





Description: Ground color of this long (to 5+ feet), slender, alert, and agile brushland snake is gray to blue-gray. It has 4 lengthwise stripes, 2 dorsolaterally and 2 laterally. Several rows of dorsal scales between the 2 upper stripes have an almost hidden cream spot on the anterior (attached) edge. The throat is white with orange spotting. The sides of the throat are orange. The belly is multicolored—off-white anteriorly, blue-gray posteriorly, and red-orange on the underside of the tail. This snake is an agile climber and may often be seen basking while elevated in the branches of a shrub. Scales smooth in 15 rows. Oviparous. Hatchlings look much like adults. It has 4 lengthwise stripes, 2 dorsolaterally and 2 laterally. Several rows of dorsal scales between the 2 upper stripes have an almost hidden cream spot on the anterior (attached) edge.


Habitat: The species' habitats include tropical dry forest, semi-deciduous forest, shrublands, grasslands, canyons, woodlands of pine/juniper/oak, rocky stream courses, and pond edges. In Texas, this snake occurs in savanna (mesquite-live oak; dry, rocky, and often sandy areas) and Tamaulipan thorn woodland; it is often associated with streambeds and ponds. Microhabitats are terrestrial and arboreal. It retreats underground or into deep crevices in cold weather.


Range: This species' range extends from the Balcones Escarpment of central Texas south to the Gulf Coastal Plain of Texas in the United States


Found in these States: TX


Diet: Young eat mainly lizards; adults eat mainly lizards and small mammals; also eats insects and small birds.


Reproduction: Eggs may be laid in abandoned small mammal burrows.


Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of the wide range, and relatively stable extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, number of subpopulations, and population size.


Taxonomy:

»» Kingdom: Animalia - Animals
   »» Phylum: Chordata - Chordates
     »» Subphylum: Vertebrata - Vertebrates
       »» Class: Reptilia - Reptiles
         »» Order: Squamata - Scaled Reptiles
           »» Suborder: Serpentes
             »» Superfamily: Colubroidea
               »» Family: Colubridae - Colubrids
                   »» Genus: Masticophis
                     »» Species: Masticophis schotti - Schott's Whipsnake
                       »» Subspecies: Masticophis schotti schotti - Schott's Whipsnake subspecies

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Masticophis schotti", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Content may have been omitted from the original, but no content has been changed or extended.

 

 

 

 


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U.S. Guide to Venomous Snakes and Their Mimics     Venomous Snakebite in the Western United States     Venomous Snakes Of The Southeast     The 10 Most Dangerous Snakes in the United States and Canada



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Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 
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