Striped Whipsnake

This whipsnake exhibits predatory behavior with its head held high as it slithers over a basalt rock in search of food.

NPS

Named for their resemblance to a leather whip, the long slender bodies a striped whipsnake (Clober taeniatus) can reach lengths up to six feet. Colored stripes run the length of its body with a dark strip on top, cream and pale gray along the sides and dark pink coloration under its tail. The cream stripes run down their sides, accentuate their slenderness.

This fast moving snake hunts by slithering along with their heads held high or waiting for unsuspecting prey while perched in a tree or shrub. Lacking the flashier weapons in a snake arsenal- like venom, or powerful constricting coils- the striped whipsnake depends on his tongue for hunting and gathering information about its potential prey. Once a meal is caught they will wrap their long slender body around it to keep it still enough to swallow.

Striped whipsnakes can live 10-20 years in the wild. Males usually mature 1-2 years before females with mating usually occurring in April and May. Females may nest in an abandoned burrow where they will lay a clutch of 3-12 eggs. The 14-17 inch hatchlings emerge around August.