Striped Racer

Masticophis lateralis

Reptiles & AmphibiansIn the app

The striped racer or Masticophis lateralis has a total length that ranges from 3.0-3.9 feet. Slender in size, this species has a yellowish stripe along each side of the b…

Striped Racer — California Striped Racer

How to identify

The striped racer or Masticophis lateralis has a total length that ranges from 3.0-3.9 feet. Slender in size, this species has a yellowish stripe along each side of the body against a dark brown or black back.

Range

This species is endemic to the desert, coast and foothills of California.

Habitat

The striped racer is diurnal and inhabits open desert, pine forest California oak woodland, chaparral and open landscape habitats. It feeds on lizards, snakes, small mammals and birds. The females lay eggs late in the spring season or early in the summer and the eggs hatch in two to three months.

Variations

The California striped racer or Masticophis lateralis lateralis has narrow lateral stripes that are cream or yellow in color with two half-scale rows wide. The scales at the midbody of this subspecies are 17 in number. The underside of the head and neck of the Chaparral striped racer has many black spots. The anterior ventral surface color is yellow. The Alameda striped racer or Masticophis lateralis euryxanthus has orange lateral stripes which are broad with 1 and 2 half scale rows wide. A distinguishing feature of this species is that the underside of the head and neck is unspotted or has very few spots. The anterior ventral surface is orange in color.

Similar species

The Desert striped whipsnake or Masticophis taeniatus is bisected by dashes or a black line on its body with a lateral stripe color that ranges from cream to white. The anterior ventral surface of this species is of the same color while the underside of its head and neck is white motted with dark spots. The north American racer or Coluber constrictor is blue-grey, plain brown olive-green to green above and unmarked yellowish or off-white below. This species has smooth scales, broad head, large eyes and slender neck. The Diablo Range Gartersnake or Thamnophis atratus has a distinct yellow or orange stripe on its back and a light stripe along the lower base of each side on the second and third scale rows. This species has keeled dorsal scales with the head being slightly larger than its neck.