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GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
AND HABITAT
The
Coach whip snake is a common snake in its natural habitat of woodland, rocky
hillsides and sand dunes. It is reasonably common throughout the southern
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DESCRIPTION
The Coach
Whip snake is a non-venomous (not poisonous) snake.
It is
very important to know the differences between poisonous and non-poisonous
snakes. The differences are listed below.
Venomous snakes have triangular heads, elliptical
pupils, and upper jaws with fangs. They also have belly plates that extend all
the way across their bodies to their blunt or rounded tails.
A number of venomous and non-venomous snakes live in our area.
Venomous snakes include the prairie, western diamondback, rock,
Mojave, ridgenose and massasauga rattlesnakes and the coral snake.
Non-venomous snakes have rounded heads, rounded pupils, sharp
teeth and no fangs. Their belly plates are in two sections to their sharp,
pointed tails. Non-venomous snakes include the bull or gopher snake, seven
species of garter snake, hognose snake, western coach whip snake, desert king
snake, New Mexico milk snake, water snake, and corn snake.
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VITAL STATISTICS:
Coach whip snakes are
extremely agile diurnal snakes. Coach whip snakes are so called because of the
large scales on the long, slowly tapering tail, which give it the appearance of
a braided bullwhip. A species with highly variable dorsal coloration; tan,
grey, red, or pink with bold black or brown crossbars or blotches on neck which
may blend together; pink; slender body and tail; large eyes with round pupils;
often described as a red snake with a black head.
Adults of this species
have been recorded up to 260cm (8.5ft) although the average adult size is
between 90cm and 195cm (3 - 6.5ft).
These snakes prefer a basking
temperature of 30°C (86°F) and a 25 - 26°C (77 - 78°F) on the
cool end.
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DIET
In the wild this species
preys on a wide variety of birds, eats small rodents like mice, grasshoppers,
lizards, ants, little snakes, spiders,baby turtles and scorpions. It hunts its
food with its head raised off the floor, following the scent into the prey's
burrows.
In captivity it should be fed appropriately sized rodents every
5 days.
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LIFE CYCLE/SOCIAL
BEHAVIOR
Captive coach whips have lived up to 16
years, however nothing is known on their longevity in the wild.
A fast moving diurnal snake that is difficult to capture.
Bites, excretes musk and twists body when handled. Large individuals should be
handled with caution.
This species of snake is
best kept in captivity on either newspaper or chip shop paper. Due to its
nervous nature it should be provided with numerous hides.
They are cold blooded
animals. They hibernate in the winter. Vision is well developed in most snakes,
but many burrowing snakes are virtually blind.
Snakes have a strong sense of
smell, which is relied on to a large extent in hunting food. Snakes find their
prey by sight and scent, and sometimes temperature. Except for burrowing
species, snakes have excellent short-range vision. Their sense of smell is
extraordinary, thanks to a harmless, constantly flicking forked tongue that
carries scent particles to a specialized sensory organ ('Jacobson's organ') on
the roof of the mouth. Snakes are deaf to airborne sounds. For example, the
Cobra does not hear, as it is believed, the snake-charmer's flute. They can,
however, feel vibrations through the ground or whatever they are resting on.
Snakes move
slower than an adult human can run; the fastest recorded speed achieved by any
snake is about 13 km/hr (8 mph), but few can go that fast.
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REPRODUCTION
Young Coach whips
have black, brown or tan transverse bands on lighter background; black neck
markings are absent in hatchlings and faint in juveniles less than 24 in (61
cm) in length. These snakes shed their skin. The frequency of shedding varies
with different species , according to the size and age of the individual.
Young, rapidly growing snakes shed their skins more frequently than the
slow-growing adults. In some cases the skin is shed about every 20 days; in
others, only once a year.
Depending on the species, snakes may be
egg-layers or give birth to live young. They generally mate in the spring,
shortly after leaving whatever hollow, burrow or rock crevice has sheltered
them through winter hibernation. Egg-layers usually deposit groups of eggs in
dirt, beneath stones or logs, or in piles of decaying wood or vegetation during
late spring or early summer. Most snakes hatch or are born in late summer.
Whether deposited as eggs or dropped as fully formed miniature adults, snakes
are on their own from the start. Snakes do not take any responsibility for the
care and protection of their young. Most snakes mature at one or two years of
age, and individuals may live up to twenty years in the wild. |
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INTERESTING
FACTS
Many reptiles carry the naturally forming bacteria Salmonella.
Salmonella bacteria can only be contracted by ingestion (via the mouth). Good
hygiene is therefore very important when touching any animal. If you touch a
Coach whip, wash your hands!
The Salmonella germ is actually a group of
bacteria that can cause diarrheal illness in humans. They are microscopic
living creatures that pass from the feces of people or animals, to other people
or other animals. There are many different kinds of Salmonella bacteria.
Salmonella serotype Typhimurium and Salmonella serotype
Enteritidis are the most common in the United States. Salmonella has
been known to cause illness for over 100 years. They were discovered by a
American scientist named Salmon, for whom they are named.
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