Scales: Smooth

Anal Plate: Divided

Coachwhips as a species are found throughout Texas. The Western subspecies can be found in the Western two thirds of the state, while the Eastern subspecies are found in the Eastern one third of the state. Western Coachwhips are also found in Eastern half of New Mexico, Southeast Colorado, Southwestern Nebraska, Southwest Kansas, Western half of Oklahoma. Unlike the Eastern subspecies, the Western subspecies tend to be all uniformly one color. This color can vary depending on where it occur in the state, it can vary from brown to red.

They are diurnal snakes that actively hunt almost anything that moves and they can swallow. Items such as bats, birds, small turtles, lizards, rodents, other snakes, amphibians and eggs (Dixon & Werler 2000). They will sit & wait for prey or they will actively searching the landscape for food. As an active forager, coacwhips will climb trees to find bird nests. Sometimes, one can find this species by the cries of mobbing Orioles and Jays.

Coachwhips are considered one of the fastest snakes found in North America. A coachwhip at optimal body temperature can slitter at speeds up to 8 mph. This might not south fast, but its which is pretty fast when you consider how low to the ground the moving object is.

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