Coachwhip
Masticophis flagellum
Body length: 36 - 102"
Diet: Small mammals, birds, lizards, snakes, and insects
Like their Sonoran whipsnake cousins, coachwhips are
fast, day-active snakes. They are rarely encountered at Tonto National Monument,
but are often seen at lower elevations, closer to Roosevelt Lake. They are one
of Arizona's fastest snakes, officially clocked at 3.6 miles per hour (although
they seem much faster).
An unusual feature of this snake is that it may be completely black, completely
red, completely brown, or some combination of these three colors. In many areas
there appears to be no rhyme or reason to this coloring, and black, brown, and
red snakes may live side-by-side. Thus "black racers", "red racers"
(as they are sometimes called), and coachwhips are really just different color
types of the same snake.
NPS
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Updated
May 8, 2005