Masticophis lateralis
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
The California whipsnake (Masticophis lateralis), also known as the striped racer, is a colubrid snake found in habitats of the coast, desert, and foothills of California. As with many species and subspecies, taxonomic reclassification is an ongoing process, and differing sources often disagree. The genus Masticophis may soon be absorbed by the closely related genus Coluber, which contains the racer (Coluber constrictor).
The chaparral whipsnake is a common subspecies in California and northern Baja California, Mexico. The subspecies is often associated with broken (variable) habitat types that range from northwestern to extreme southern California and further south into Northwestern Mexico.
The Alameda whipsnake subspecies is endemic to California. The subspecies is considered threatened there. Its range is relatively small, and much of the subspecies' habitat is threatened by development. It was first collected by Archie Mossman and later described by Riemer in 1954. The Alameda Whipsnake is a threatened... Wikipedia →
Recording0:31
United States · 2015
© illiad669s · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Striped Racer sighting in Yosemite National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 14th most-seen of the 17 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.
March, May–June and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Striped Racer in Yosemite National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April, July and September–February, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Striped Racer sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Striped Racer sightings, Yosemite National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (United States, about 10%) and Joshua Tree National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Striped Racer that you can see in Yosemite National Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are California Mountain Kingsnake (about 20%), Western Terrestrial Garter Snake (about 20%) and Western Aquatic Garter Snake (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Striped Racer is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Yosemite National Park (8 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
