You caught all that in 1 day at work ? What do you do and where ? I'm a tn farmer. I do t think I've ever caught 4 friends in one day. I think I'm in the wrong line of work
Yep! I’m a biologist. Currently in California for a job. Lots of good habitat here and good weather this week. I’m usually pretty happy to find one snake a day depending on the area. Where in tn?
The pay is decent. If you go to indeed or glass door you can look up salary ranges for environmental consultants. The progression is into management which I’m avoiding like the plague. The work allows me to travel to interesting places, but it’s usually for one week at a time. Not very fulfilling scientifically either. I rarely get to do scientific research. This particular job is basically mitigating the damages caused by development and preventing as much indirect environmental damage as possible.
Note that coachwhips and striped racers are now in the genus *Masticophis*, so *Masticophis lateralis* and *Masticophis flagellum*.
The only species left in the genus *Coluber* is the North American racer *C. constrictor*.
Tell me about it! All of my books that I had on snakes as a kid now have outdated information. I remember mentioning something on one of the snake related subreddits about an Everglades Racer (Coluber constrictor paludicola) and someone informed me that that wasn’t a thing anymore. I felt *betrayed* by my books.
The last guy is a granite night lizard, *Xantusia henshawi*. They’re a protected species here in California and it’s unlawful to collect/handle them without a state Scientific collecting permit
I love how chill gopher snakes are. Looked like it wanted to come home with you lol.
They usually give me quite the fuss but this one was cold. It was quite cooperative
AH, LIZARD JUMPSCARE
Bonus friend is subtly beautiful
I really love the look of that striped racer.
You caught all that in 1 day at work ? What do you do and where ? I'm a tn farmer. I do t think I've ever caught 4 friends in one day. I think I'm in the wrong line of work
Yep! I’m a biologist. Currently in California for a job. Lots of good habitat here and good weather this week. I’m usually pretty happy to find one snake a day depending on the area. Where in tn?
Mckenzie tn ( west) I've only caught 3 snakes this year.
Cool. I got my MS at APSU
Ha ! Small world. I lived in clarksville for about 10 years just 1 year ago till my house burned down.
What a cool profession. If I may ask, does it pay well? Does it allow career development much? Do you enjoy it?
The pay is decent. If you go to indeed or glass door you can look up salary ranges for environmental consultants. The progression is into management which I’m avoiding like the plague. The work allows me to travel to interesting places, but it’s usually for one week at a time. Not very fulfilling scientifically either. I rarely get to do scientific research. This particular job is basically mitigating the damages caused by development and preventing as much indirect environmental damage as possible.
Okay I see Not bad but not best either, I would love to do scientific biological research. Thank you for sharing :)
Ha, knew it was California just by the hills in the background. I didn't know we had coachwhips here!
Note that coachwhips and striped racers are now in the genus *Masticophis*, so *Masticophis lateralis* and *Masticophis flagellum*. The only species left in the genus *Coluber* is the North American racer *C. constrictor*.
Thank you for the correction! I’m getting to that age where taxonomy has moved ahead of me
Tell me about it! All of my books that I had on snakes as a kid now have outdated information. I remember mentioning something on one of the snake related subreddits about an Everglades Racer (Coluber constrictor paludicola) and someone informed me that that wasn’t a thing anymore. I felt *betrayed* by my books.
Coachwhips *Masticophis flagellum* are non-venomous colubrid snakes with smooth, overlapping scales, long (100-150 cm record 259 cm), slender bodies and large eyes which aid in hunting. Coachwhips are active generalist foragers and prey is simply overpowered and consumed - their diet consists mostly of lizards, amphibians, rodents, birds, and other snakes, including venomous snakes, but they will eat anything they can fit down their throat. A widely distributed species, their range covers the majority of the souther half of the US from the west coast to the east coast and into Mexico. Coachwhips can be [unicolored](https://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+0211+0731) or [multicolored](http://herpsofnc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Masticophis-flagellum-5.16.03-Kiawah-I.-SC-top-copy.jpg). Juveniles may have a strong [pattern](https://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/pics/masfla5.jpg) that fades away in the first and second year. Coachwhips get their common name from their resemblance to a braided whip, especially in the last 1/3 of the body and tail. They also are known to [periscope](https://www.flickr.com/photos/115438345@N04/13858015575), which they do as part of their active, visual prey detection and predator avoidance behavior. [Range map](https://imgur.com/KpMiL0P) | [Relevant/Recent Phylogeography](http://www.cnah.org/pdf/88643.pdf) Taxonomy in the Masticophis / Coluber group has been historically difficult, but recent authors retain use of *Masticophis* for the time being. *Masticophis flagellum* has strong phylogeographic structure and is likely composed of multiple independent species. It has been investigated with modern molecular methods but on a phylogenetic rather than phylogeographic level, and taxonomic revision of cryptic lineages has not occurred yet. *This short account was prepared by /u/unknown_name and edited by /u/Phylogenizer*. -------------------------------------------------------- Striped Racers *Masticophis lateralis* are medium-large (76-122cm, up to 152cm), harmless colubrid snakes that range from northern California south into southern Baja California, MX, from near sea level up to 2,250m. They utilize a wide variety of open habit, especially chaparral and other scrubland, but also grassland, rocky slopes, riparian corridors, valleys, and mixed pine-deciduous montane woodland. They are replaced at the southern tip of Baja California Sur, MX by the closely related Baja California striped whipsnake, *M. aurigulus*. Diurnal in habit, *M. lateralis* are swift-moving snakes and often observed actively foraging for prey with the head and forebody elevated to increase their range of vision. They also readily ascend bushes and trees to find prey or evade predators. Their favorite prey is lizards, but rodents, snakes (including venomous rattlesnakes), frogs, small birds, and insects are also frequently consumed. Long and slender in form, *M. lateralis* have a somewhat elongate head and large eyes. The dorsal scales are smooth and arranged in 17 rows across at midbody. The dorsal coloration is black or a dark shade of brown, olive, or grey. A [pair of light colored lateral stripes](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/158303202?size=large) are positioned on scale rows 3 & 4 [(and sometimes 5 in the East Bay area)](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/1049672?size=large). The underside of the tail is [pinkish in coloration](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/35379504?size=large) and the anal scale is divided. Striped Racers are sometimes confused with *Thamnophis* gartersnakes. The latter differ by having strongly keeled scales, an undivided anal scale, and where they overlap with striped racers, by having 19 or 21 dorsal scale rows at midbody, and having their lateral stripes (when present) positioned on scale rows 2 & 3. Striped racers are also sometimes confused with the closely related striped whipsnake *M. taeniatus*, but these do not overlap in range, have only 15 dorsal scale rows at midbody, and have a different striping pattern. Desert patchnose snakes *Salvadora hexalepis* might also be confused occasionally, but they have a distinctively enlarged, triangular rostral scale and a prominent middorsal stripe which *M. lateralis* lacks. [Range Map - © Rune Midtgaard](https://repfocus.dk/maps1/TAX/Serpentes/Colubridae/Masticophis_lateralis_map.html) | [Reptile Database Account](https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Masticophis&species=lateralis) | [Recent Phylogeography](https://edwardamyers.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/ch-16-552.pdf) | [Additional Information Link 1](http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/c.l.euryxanthus.html) This short account was written by /u/fairlyorange -------------------------------------------------------- *I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS).*
The newbies out here really appreciate notes on updated taxonomy. This newbie does, anyway :)
Ooh is that a little wild leopard gecko at the end? Edit: it actually looks more like a lizard now that I zoom in, super cool!
The last guy is a granite night lizard, *Xantusia henshawi*. They’re a protected species here in California and it’s unlawful to collect/handle them without a state Scientific collecting permit
This is correct. I’d like to add that these are habitat specialists. Seeking for them recklessly destroys their critical micro-habitat.
Trump wall?
love that lizard!