The Alameda whipsnake (Masticophis lateralis euryxanthus), also known as the Alameda striped racer, is a federally threatened subspecies of California whipsnake (M. lateralis). It is a colubrid snake distinguishable by its broad head, large eyes, black and orange coloring with a yellow stripe down each side, and slender neck. The California whipsnake is found in California's northern and coastal chaparral. The Alameda whipsnake is a wary creature known for its speed and climbing abilities utilized when escaping predators or hunting prey. In winter months, the Alameda whipsnake hibernates in rock crevices and rodent burrows.
Since 1992, the Alameda whipsnakes have been eliminated from 35 of 60 historical localities. The snake was first collected by Archie Mossman and later described by Riemer[5] in 1954. Unlike the parent species, the California whipsnake, the Alameda whipsnake has been reduced to just five areas with little or no interchange due to habitat loss, alteration, and fragmentation. The biggest threat to the Alameda Whipsnake is human development in the snake's habitat. Urban sprawl is increasing at a rapid rate, and introducing the snake to direct alteration like construction of development, and indirect like pets and public recreation.
The California Environmental Quality Act and California Endangered Species Act afforded the Alameda whipsnake some conservation benefits prior to the federal listing, but these laws by themselves were far from adequate to protect the species. The listing of the Alameda whipsnake as federally threatened increases the ability of public land agencies to promote conservation and management plans that take into consideration the specialized environmental and biological needs of this snake.
^NatureServe (7 April 2023). "Coluber lateralis euryxanthus". NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
^"Alameda whipsnake (=striped racer) (Masticophis lateralis euryxanthus)". Environmental Conservation Online System. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
^62 FR 64306
^"Masticophis lateralis subsp. euryxanthus (Riemer, 1954)". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
^Riemer, William J. (1954-02-19). "A New Subspecies of the Snake Masticophis lateralis from California". Copeia. 1954 (1): 45–48. doi:10.2307/1440636. ISSN 0045-8511. JSTOR 1440636.
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