Western yellow-bellied racer

Coluber constrictor mormon
Closeup of the head of a western yellowbelly racer in Washington state.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Subfamily: Colubrinae
Genus: Coluber
Species: C. constrictor
Subspecies: C. c. mormon
Trinomial name
Coluber constrictor mormon
(Baird & Girard, 1852)

The western yellow-bellied racer (Coluber constrictor mormon),[1] also known as the western yellowbelly racer,[2] or western racer,[1] is a snake species endemic to Western United States, including California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado.[3][4] It is a subspecies of the racer. It is nonvenomous,[5] and is recognized by its long and very slender shape.[6][7] It is visually similar to the eastern yellowbelly racer, which is also green, blue or brown with a yellow recognizable underbelly. Also named for its color, the Western Yellowbelly Racer is also gray with red or brown blotches when young.[8][9]

References

  1. 1 2 Wrobel, Murray (2004). Elsevier's Dictionary of Reptiles. Elsevier. Page 122. ISBN 9780080459202.
  2. ↑ Degenhardt, William G. and Charles W. Painter (2005). Amphibians and Reptiles of New Mexico. UNM Press. Page 13. ISBN 9780826338112.
  3. ↑ Booth, Douglas E. (2002). Searching for Paradise: Economic Development and Environmental Change in the Mountain West. Rowman & Littlefield. Page 123. ISBN 9780742518766.
  4. ↑ Matsuda, Brent M. and David M. Green (2006). Amphibians and Reptiles of British Columbia. Royal BC Museum. Page 209. ISBN 9780772654489.
  5. ↑ Mullally, Linda B. and David (2008). Best Hikes with Dogs: Central California. The Mountaineers Books. Page 27. ISBN 9781594850493.
  6. ↑ Stace-Smith, Richard and Lois Johns (1980). Threatened and Endangered Species and Habitats in British Columbia and the Yukon: Proceedings of the Symposium. The Branch. Page 155. ISBN 9780771984655.
  7. ↑ Brown, Philip (1997). A Field Guide to Snakes of California. Gulf Publishing Company. Page 58. ISBN 9780877193081.
  8. ↑ Richardson, Adele (2003). North American Racer Snakes. Capstone. Page 15. ISBN 9780736821391.
  9. ↑ Cox, Douglas C. and Wilmer W. Tanner (1995). Snakes of Utah. Brigham Young University. Page 28. ISBN 9780842523318.
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