Masticophis is a
genus of
colubridsnakes, commonly referred to as whip snakes or coachwhips, which are
endemic to the
Americas.[1] They are characterized by having a long, thin body and are not dangerous to humans.
Distribution and habitat
Species of Masticophis are found in the United States, Mexico, Central America, and northern South America.[1]
Description
Adults of
species in the genus Masticophis may attain a total length (including tail) from 152 cm (5 ft) for M. lateralis to 259 cm (8.5 ft) for M. flagellum. A distinctive character of this genus is the shape of the
frontal scale (the large scale in the center of the upper surface of the head) which is bell-shaped and elongated. At the rear of the body, the
dorsal scales are arranged in only 13 rows.[2]
Species and subspecies
The genus Masticophis contains eleven species that are recognized as being valid, five of which have recognized
subspecies.[3]
^
abConant R (1975). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. xviii + 429 pp.
ISBN0-395-19977-8 (paperback). (Genus Masticophis, pp. 177-178).
^Smith HM,
Brodie ED Jr (1982). Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp.
ISBN0-307-13666-3 (paperback). (Genus Masticophis, pp. 190-193).
Baird SF,
Girard C (1853). Catalogue of North American Reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Part I.—Serpents. Washington, District of Columbia: Smithsonian Institution. xvi + 172 pp. (Masticophis, new genus, p. 98).
External links
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