BajaNomad - Snake Photo: ID Request from Sallysouth (Msal)

Snake Photo: ID Request from Sallysouth (Msal)

David K - 6-5-2009 at 08:56 AM

From Sallysouth (Msal):

Mija sent me this.She found it on a road, on a golf course in San Jose del Cabo. No ID so far! Anyone know what kind it is? Thanks, Sally

Snake

tehag - 6-5-2009 at 09:09 AM

Looks to me like a Baja California Coachwhip, Masticophis fuliginosus.

Seems a lot lighter colored than usual, but shape and markings are right on.

Russ - 6-5-2009 at 09:10 AM

albino gofer snake? The head looks similar but I googled it and didn't see any with that pattern.

David K - 6-5-2009 at 09:16 AM

Sally. in looking at all the snakes in Ron McPeak's 'Amphibians and Reptiles of Baja California', it looks like one of three sub species of Coachwhip:

Osprey - 6-5-2009 at 09:19 AM

There are uncountable numbers of coachwhips down my way -- they prey on lizards and are far and away the most prevalent snake around. Smart, quick, prolific wins the day.

BajaGringo - 6-5-2009 at 09:23 AM

Are they poisonous?

David K - 6-5-2009 at 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by tehag
Looks to me like a Baja California Coachwhip, Masticophis fuliginosus.

Seems a lot lighter colored than usual, but shape and markings are right on.

Tehag wins!

Here is what Ron McPeak says about them:

I photographed one near Rancho San Gregorio (southwest of San Borja, in 2001):

Sallysouth - 6-5-2009 at 09:41 AM

Thanks David! The pic in your first post has very similar markings, just a bit darker.The snake in the bottom photo doesn't seem to resemble either one!

David K - 6-5-2009 at 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sallysouth
Thanks David! The pic in your first post has very similar markings, just a bit darker.The snake in the bottom photo doesn't seem to resemble either one!

Exactly... see the text from Ron's book... there are three subspecies... The one I saw looks like 107A, Juanita's looks like 107B only lighter.

Snake

tehag - 6-5-2009 at 10:04 AM

Baja California coachwhips come in a pretty wide range of colors. Here are 3 which occur in Loreto. The yellow is the commonest local coloration of adults, the brown is an immature of same, and the one bird hunting in a palo verde tree is a darker morph.

They are not venomous, but are aggressive and will bite if handled or cornered.

capt. mike - 6-5-2009 at 11:40 AM

saw one, about 6' long slither to a bush at PSFO one time and scared the bee jeesus out of me. i never saw a snake with a diff colored head before and always wondered what bit was. thx!

mtgoat666 - 6-5-2009 at 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tehag
They are not venomous, but are aggressive and will bite if handled or cornered.

I would not call that "aggresive." Most animals will bite if handled or cornered, including most nomads :lol:

BajaGringo - 6-5-2009 at 12:11 PM

Well, based on some of the posting here lately, that sounds about right...

:rolleyes:

Cypress - 6-5-2009 at 12:56 PM

Coachwhip? They're very fast. Make a buzzing sound when their belly scales skim across the ground. Will climb a tree before you can blink. :yes:

Have seen 'em down south. That species is mostly black, but the adults from the head down to 1/4 of their body length are grey/white. Neat snakes!!

Neal Johns - 6-5-2009 at 01:48 PM

mtgoat666, that aggressiveness is compared to other snakes. A gopher snake or boa if handled gently will not usually bite. Coachwhips, other racer family snakes, and most water snakes will. Don't ask me how I found out many times.

I charm snakes and women with the same results....

BajaGringo - 6-5-2009 at 02:45 PM

:lol:

nancyinpdx - 6-5-2009 at 02:50 PM

He looks sooo creepy! I'd be scared if there was one in the house!!!

bacquito - 6-5-2009 at 02:53 PM

Thanks for the information.

longlegsinlapaz - 6-5-2009 at 03:34 PM

I've experienced ONE whip snake & hope to never meet another one. It's the ONLY snake I've ever encountered who headed FOR me rather than AWAY from me! I don't like ('k, HATE!) snakes & when I see one, I go out of my way to cut a wide swath around them! In my experience whip snakes are totally aggressive in that it actually chased me!

I was not impressed, didn't take it as a compliment at all! <shuddddder>

Sallysouth - 6-5-2009 at 03:37 PM

tehag, thanks for the photos and info! Waiting to see what Mija has to say.She hasn't told me about the behavior of the snake.

Cypress - 6-5-2009 at 04:01 PM

longlegsinlapaz, A "whip snake" is tame compared to a cotton mouth moccasin, and a cotton mouth is venomous.

Sallysouth - 6-5-2009 at 05:02 PM

Hello all. This is Juanita, Sallysouth's daughter. Thanks for all the help on the ID for the snake. I think it is indeed a coachwhip just a very different color than any of the photos I have seen yet. This snake was WHITE WHITE. Nothing says anything about them being white at all. But the markings on the head are similar and that makes me think it must be a color variation of the Coachwhip.

Thanks again! Mystery solved!
Juanita Miller

longlegsinlapaz - 6-5-2009 at 06:09 PM

Cypress, I've never heard of cottonmouths in my neck of the woods....'errrrr....cardons and if I've just been hard of hearing, please let me remain so!

The 5' diamondback in my front yard took more than enough years off my life expectancy! :bounce:

Sallysouth - 6-5-2009 at 07:57 PM

yeah guys/gals, there is a difference because the snake was (as Nita said) White white.I think the ID has been made.Thanks all.Sally