THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY


Reptilia    Squamata (part)    Colubridae  

Common Coachwhip
Masticophis flagellum (Shaw, 1802)

Current SSAR Comments:
Using molecular and morphological data, O’Connell and Smith (2018, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 127: 356–366), recognized populations west of the Cochise Filter Barrier as a distinct species, M. piceus. They recognized the named subspecies as evolutionary lineages within each species, though they did not evaluate the subspecies M. f. ruddocki. Myers et al. (2017, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 127(2018):356–366) and Myers et al. (2019, Molecular Ecology 28:1–14) also found these two lineages meeting at the Cochise Filter Barrier using mtDNA and genome-scale data. The English name was modified to differentiate this species from the other species called “Coachwhips.”

Range maps are based on curated specimens and provided gratis by CNAH.
(Created by Travis W. Taggart; Version: 2024.02.18.16.50.10)
Download GeoJSON polygon range file: - 2.23 MB

First instance(s) of published English names:
Coach-whip Snake (Anguis flagelli-formis: Catesby, Mark and Cromwell Mortimer. 1753. IX. A Continuation of an Account of an Essay Towards a Natural History of Carolina and the Bahama Islands. By Mark Catesby, F. R. S. with Some Extracts out of the Eighth Set. By Dr. Mortimer, Secr. R. S. Philosophical Transactions 39():251-258); Coach-whip Snake (Anguis flagelli formis: Catesby, Mark. 1754. The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands: Containing the Figures of Birds, Beasts, Fishes, Serpents, Insects, and Plants: Particularly the Forest-trees, Shrubs, and other Plants, not Hitherto Described, or Very Incorrectly Figured by Authors. Together with Their Descriptions in English and French. To which, are Added Observations on the Air, Soil, and Waters: with Remarks upon Agriculture, Grain, Pulse, Roots, &c. To the Whole, is Prefixed a New and Correct Map of the Countries Treated of. , London. pp.); Coach Whip Snake (Coluber flagellum: Morse, Jedidiah. 1794. The American Geography of, a view of the Present Situation of the United State of America. John Stockdale, Piccadilly, London. pp.); Coach-whip Snake (Coluber filiformis: Harlan, Richard. 1827. Genera of North American Reptilia, and a synopsis of the species Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences Philidelphia 5(2):317-372); Coach-whip Snake (Coluber flagelliformis: Harlan, Richard. 1827. Genera of North American Reptilia, and a synopsis of the species Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences Philidelphia 5(2):317-372); Coppery Whip Snake (Drymobius testaceus: Cooper, James G. 1869. The fauna of California and its geographical distribution. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 4():61-81); Coppery Whip-snake (Masticophis testaceus: Cooper, James G. 1869. The naturalist in California. The American Naturalist 3(9):470-481); Coach-whip Snake (Bascanium flagelliforme flagelliforme: Yarrow, Henry C. 1882. Check list of North American Reptilia and Batrachia with catalogue of specimens in U. S. National Museum. Bulletin of the United States National Museum (24):1-249); Arizona Coach-whip Snake (Bascanium flagelliforme piceum: Yarrow, Henry C. 1882. Check list of North American Reptilia and Batrachia with catalogue of specimens in U. S. National Museum. Bulletin of the United States National Museum (24):1-249); Yellow Coach-whip Snake (Bascanium flagelliforme testaceum: Yarrow, Henry C. 1882. Check list of North American Reptilia and Batrachia with catalogue of specimens in U. S. National Museum. Bulletin of the United States National Museum (24):1-249); Western Whip Snake (Bascanion flagellum frenatum: Van Denburgh, John. 1897. The reptiles of the Pacific Coast and Great Basin: An account of the species known to inhabit California, and Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Nevada. Occasional Papers of the California Academy of Sciences 5():9-236); Coach Whip (Bascanium flagellum: Beyer, George. 1900. Louisana herpetology. Proceedings of the Louisiana Society of Naturalists 1897-1899():24-46); Whip Snake (Bascanium flagellum: Brown, Arthur, E. 1902. Report of the Board of Directors. Pages 5-22 in Thirtieth Annual Report of the Board of Directors of the Zoological Society of Philadelphia. Allen, Lane, and Scott, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. pp.); Coachwhip Snake (Zamenis flagellum: Brown, Arthur, E. 1902. Report of the Board of Directors. Pages 5-22 in Thirtieth Annual Report of the Board of Directors of the Zoological Society of Philadelphia. Allen, Lane, and Scott, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. pp.); Coach Whip Snake (Zamenis flagellum: Brown, Arthur, E. 1902. Report of the Board of Directors. Pages 5-22 in Thirtieth Annual Report of the Board of Directors of the Zoological Society of Philadelphia. Allen, Lane, and Scott, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. pp.); Coach Whip (Zamenis flagellum flagellum: Branson, Edwin B. 1904. Snakes of Kansas. University of Kansas Science Bulletin 2(13):353-430); Coach-whip Snake (Bascanion flagellum: Hurter, Julius. 1911. Herpetology of Missouri. Transactions of the Academy of Science St. Louis 20(5):59-274); Coach Whip (Coluber flagellum flagellum: Stejneger, Leonard and Thomas Barbour. 1917. A Checklist of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts. pp.); Coachwhip (Coluber flagellum flagellum: Strecker, John K. 1922. An annotated catalogue of the amphibians and reptiles of Bexar County, Texas. Bulletin Scientific Society of San Antonio (4):1-31); Whip Snake (Coluber flagellum flagellum: Strecker, John K. 1922. An annotated catalogue of the amphibians and reptiles of Bexar County, Texas. Bulletin Scientific Society of San Antonio (4):1-31); Western Whip Snake (Coluber flagellum piceus: Van Denburgh, John. 1922. The Reptiles of Western North America: An Account of the Species Known to Inhabit California and Oregon, Washinton, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, British Columbia, Sonora, and Lower California. Volume I. Lizards. California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco. 556pp.); Western Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum flagellum: Brennan, Lawrence A. 1934. A check list of the amphibians and reptiles of Ellis County, Kansas. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 37():189-191); Eastern Coachwhip (Coluber flagellum flagellum: Schmidt, Karl Peterson and D. D. Davis. 1941. Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. C.P. Putnam and Sons, New York. 365pp.); Western Coachwhip (Coluber flagellum flavigularis: Schmidt, Karl Peterson and D. D. Davis. 1941. Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. C.P. Putnam and Sons, New York. 365pp.); Red Racer (Coluber flagellum frenatus: Schmidt, Karl Peterson and D. D. Davis. 1941. Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. C.P. Putnam and Sons, New York. 365pp.); Whip-like Nasal Viper (Masticophis flagellum flagellum: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Nasal Viper (Masticophis flagellum flagellum: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Brown Thread Racer (Masticophis flagellum flagellum: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Chunkhead (Masticophis flagellum flagellum: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Prairie Runner (Masticophis flagellum flagellum: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Black Racer (Masticophis flagellum flagellum: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Black Racer (Masticophis flagellum flagellum: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Sleepy John (Masticophis flagellum flagellum: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Texas Blind Snake (Masticophis flagellum flagellum: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum flagellum: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Whip Snake (Masticophis flagellum flagellum: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Black Whip Snake (Masticophis flagellum flagellum: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Coachwhip Snake (Masticophis flagellum flagellum: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Eastern Coachwhip Snake (Masticophis flagellum flagellum: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Whipster (Masticophis flagellum flagellum: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Whip Snake (Masticophis flagellum: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.); Coachwhip Snake (Masticophis flagellum: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.); Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum flagellum: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.); Whip Snake (Masticophis flagellum flagellum: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.); Lined Whip Snake (Masticophis flagellum linetulus: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.); Black Whip Snake (Masticophis flagellum piceus: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.); Colorado Desert Whip Snake (Masticophis flagellum piceus: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.); Western Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum testaceus: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.);

Taxon Links:

  
Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles
  
The Reptile Database
  
NatureServe
  
iNaturalist
  
GenBank
  
USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database

Pertinent LIterature:
1802 Shaw, George. General zoology or systematic natural history. Volume 3. G. Kearsley, London, U. K.. 615pp.
2017 Myers, Edward A., Jamie L. Burgoon, Julie M. Ray, Juan E. Martinez-Gomez, Noemi Matias-Ferrer, Daniel G. Mulcahy, and Frank T. Burbrink. Coalescent species tree inference of Coluber and Masticophis Copeia 105(4):642-650
2018 O'Connell, Kyle A. and Eric N. Smith. The effect of missing data on coalescent species delimitation and a taxonomic revision of whipsnakes (Colubridae: Masticophis). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 127(2018):356-366
2019 Myers, Edward A., Alexander T. Xue, Marcelo Gehara, Christian Cox, Alison R. Davis Rabosky, Julio Lemos‐Espinal, Juan E. Martínez‐Gómez, and Frank T. Burbrink. Environmental heterogeneity and not vicariant biogeographic barriers generate community‐wide population structure in desert‐adapted snakes. Molecular Ecology 28(20):4535-4548

THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY — Accessed: Thursday 30 January 2025 01:58 CT