Masticophis flagellum
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Masticophis flagellum is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake, commonly referred to as the coachwhip, whip snake or the red racer. It is endemic to the United States and Mexico. Three subspecies are recognized (including the nominotypical subspecies). It is listed as a species of Least Concern by the ICUN.
The generic name Masticophis is derived from the Greek words mastix, meaning "whip", and ophis, meaning "serpent". The specific name flagellum is Latin for "whip". The scientific name was given due to the braided, whip-like appearance of the tail coupled with the length of the snake. Subspecific translations are as follows: lineatulus, (linea) Latin for "line"; testaceus, Latin for "hard covering made of brick or tile", in reference to the scaling pattern of the snake.
Including the nominotypical subspecies, there are three subspecies of Masticophis flagellum that are recognized as being valid. Scientific and common names are listed below. Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Masticophis.
Coachwhips are thin-bodied snakes... Wikipedia →
Recording0:13
United States · 2026
© Erin Scott · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Padre Island National Seashore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Las Vegas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Torreón | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Fort Worth Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Cameron Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Coachwhip sighting in Austin on a given day, based on 38 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 27th most-seen of the 37 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Coachwhip in Austin on a given day, against under 5% in November to May, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Coachwhip sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 9 cities where we can rate Coachwhip sightings, Austin ranks 4th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Las Vegas (United States, about 10%), Torreón (México, about 10%) and Phoenix (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Coachwhip that you can see in Austin (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Plain-bellied Water Snake (about 30%), Western Rat Snake (about 30%) and Rough Earthsnake (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Coachwhip is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Austin (38 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
