Kenneth L. Krysko photo.
Eastern Coachwhip, Masticophis flagellum flagellum
Coachwhips are large, fast and agile hunters of the open areas in the dunes and dunes meadows. They feed on lizards, rodents, and other snakes. The adult coachwhip has a dark brown, almost black, head and neck that fades into a light brown body and tail. Coachwhips do not use their long body and tail like a bullwhip to flog opponents as suggested by folklore. Any such whipping would break the coachwhip's back. The name originated from the large rhomboidal scales on the coachwhip's body and tail that make it look like a braided whip. When threatened, they quickly flee or retreat into the burrows of gopher tortoises.
