Coachwhip Snake

The coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum) is a long, slender, fast-moving snake from the southern United States and Mexico. It is harmless to people because it has no venom, and it gets its name from its long tail, whose scales look like the braided leather of an old-fashioned whip.

What Is a Coachwhip?

Coachwhips belong to the colubrid family, the largest family of snakes, which also includes rat snakes, racers and garter snakes. Scientists recognize several subspecies, such as the eastern coachwhip, western coachwhip, red racer and San Joaquin coachwhip. Where their ranges overlap, the subspecies can be very hard to tell apart.

What Does a Coachwhip Look Like?

Coachwhips are long and thin, with a narrow head that is barely wider than the neck, large eyes and round pupils. Adults are usually 127 to 183 cm (50 to 72 inches) long, and the record, an eastern coachwhip, was about 259 cm (102 inches). That makes them one of the longest snakes in North America, even though they are very slim.

Their colors vary a lot, which helps each population blend in with its surroundings:

• Eastern coachwhips usually have a dark brown or black head and neck that gradually fade to light tan toward the tail.
• Western coachwhips may be tan, gray, brown or even pinkish, especially in parts of western Texas where the soil is reddish.
• Red racers are often reddish or pink, at least on part of the body.
• Some coachwhips are completely black.

The scales near the tail have a crisscross pattern that makes the tail look braided, just like a whip. That is where the name comes from.

Where Do Coachwhips Live?

Coachwhips live across the southern half of the United States, from North Carolina and Florida in the east to California in the west, and south into Mexico. They like open, dry, sunny habitats such as prairies, deserts, scrub, sandhills, old fields, open pine forests and coastal sand dunes.

Behavior

Coachwhips are active during the day, even in hot weather. They are curious and alert, with excellent eyesight, and are often seen raising their heads high above the grass or rocks to look around. They are among the fastest snakes in North America.

When disturbed, a coachwhip usually races away or climbs into a shrub or low tree. It may vibrate its tail among dry leaves, making a buzzing sound a bit like a rattlesnake. If it is cornered or picked up, it will strike again and again, often aiming at the face, and bite hard. The bite is not venomous but can be painful.

An old myth says coachwhips chase people and whip them to death with their tails. That is completely untrue. Like most snakes, a coachwhip would much rather escape than fight.

What Do Coachwhips Eat?

Coachwhips hunt mainly by sight, moving quickly with their heads held up. They eat lizards, rodents, birds and their eggs, large insects, frogs and other snakes, sometimes including young rattlesnakes. They do not squeeze their prey like constrictors do. Instead, they grab it with their strong jaws, sometimes pinning it down with their body, and swallow it.

Life Cycle

Coachwhips mate in spring, usually between April and June. The female is oviparous, which means she lays eggs rather than giving birth to live young. She lays about 4 to 24 eggs in early summer, hidden in loose soil, a burrow or a rotting log. The eggs hatch in late summer, and the hatchlings, which are usually more patterned than adults, are on their own straight away.

Coachwhips are helpful to people because they eat rodents. If you meet one in your yard, the best thing to do is leave it alone and let it move on.

Coachwhips as Pets

Coachwhips are sometimes kept by experienced reptile keepers, but they are not good beginner pets. They are nervous, very fast and quick to bite, and they need a lot of space. Check local laws before getting one, and choose a captive-bred snake rather than taking one from the wild. In captivity they can live for more than 15 years.

Housing

• Because they are such active snakes, give an adult a long enclosure, at least 120 x 60 x 45 cm (4 ft x 2 ft x 18 in), with a securely locking lid. Bigger is better.
• Provide several hiding places at both ends of the enclosure. Coachwhips stress easily and feel safer with plenty of cover.
• Create a warm basking area at one end and a cooler area at the other. Control the heat source with a thermostat, and place a thermometer at each end so you can check both temperatures.
• Cover heat lamps with a wire guard so the snake cannot burn itself.
• Keep a small bowl of fresh, clean water available at all times.
• House snakes alone, as coachwhips may eat other snakes.

Substrate

Newspaper or paper towels are simple, clean and cheap. Aspen shavings or cypress mulch look more natural. Never use cedar shavings, because the oils in cedar can harm reptiles. Feeding the snake in a separate container or on a flat surface helps stop it swallowing loose bedding with its food.

Feeding

Pet coachwhips are usually fed thawed frozen mice of a suitable size. Because they are very active, they have a fast metabolism and may need to eat more often than many other snakes, roughly every 5 to 7 days. Always offer food with long tongs, never by hand, as coachwhips strike quickly and enthusiastically at anything that smells of food.

Coachwhip snake FAQs

Related: Colubridae