Eastern Coachwhip

The Eastern Coachwhip (http://www.outdooralabama.com/eastern-coachwhip) population has been in decline in the local area for quite some time. I fact I hadn’t seen one for more than five years; until yesterday. I usually have two or three snake traps set around my house and yard all year long. I usually catch a couple of copperheads each year, a rattlesnake once in a while, quite a few gray rat snakes and black racers, and a few lizards. Other snakes are caught while crawling across the lawn. I am in a reptile rich environment.

I found this guy in a snake trap on my patio yesterday. I think that they are beautifully colored snakes.


A few more views. I had to draft my son help with the photography.

It is just a little over 5' long.




Scale pattern, mid-body.


Head coloring.


Does anyone have pictures of the other sub-species of coachwhip snakes? I used to catch quite a few in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Colorado. I believe they were western coachwhips.

I don't see them very often here but they usually have a little black with a lot of the coral red color. More black on top and toward the head and more red on bottom and tail.

My wife saw one (I believe) back in the Spring as she said she saw a really long super fast red snake.

Can sure see how they got their name!

Very neat snake, had only seen pictures of them. Not in our area. Loved catchin snakes as a kid. Just about everything is now protected in NY, not a bad thing. People here routinely kill snakes just because they don't like them in areas where there are locally no poisonous snakes. No reason to bother them. Got a picture of snake a guy had killed last week, hognose. Very sad. It was the light color phase, an exceptionally beautiful, harmless snake. They only eat toads and can't even be enticed to bite. They will hiss, flatten out like a cobra, but do nothing. Breaks my heart when I hear about snakes killed for no reason. Too many people are totally unaware of their surroundings and what harmless critters inhabit their area. Some say this is the 6th great die off, and they may not be wrong.

I see a few of the coachwhip snakes down here also (Florida). They are usually out hunting in the more areas when I see them. Some look to be six feet long. I haven't seen an Indigo snake in years.

Me personally...am glad when i dont seem em