NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Coachwhip
Masticophis flagellum (Shaw, 1802)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
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.
Wikipedia contributors, Masticophis flagellum; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T01:23:21.037266+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Masticophis flagellum (Shaw, 1802)
- Name authority
- (Shaw, 1802)
- Common name
- Coachwhip
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Colubridae
- Genus
- Masticophis
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderSerpentes Linnaeus, 1758
- infraorderAlethinophidia Nopcsa, 1923
- familyColubridae
- subfamilyColubrinae
- genusMasticophis
- speciesMasticophis flagellum (Shaw, 1802)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Masticophis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Baja California Striped Whip SnakeMasticophis aurigulus (Cope, 1861) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Ajo Mountain Whipsnake [lineolatus]Masticophis bilineatus Jan, 1863 | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Baja California CoachwhipMasticophis fuliginosus (Cope, 1895) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Neotropical Whip SnakeMasticophis mentovarius (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Schott's WhipsnakeMasticophis schotti Baird & Girard, 1853 | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Striped WhipsnakeMasticophis taeniatus (Hallowell, 1852) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Isla San Esteban WhipsnakeMasticophis slevini Lowe & Norris, 1955 | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Masticophis lineatus Bocourt, 1890 | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| CoachwhipMasticophis piceus (Cope, 1892) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Coluber americanus Gravenhorst, 1807 Gravenhorst, 1807 | synonym |
| Bascanium flagelliforme bicinctum Yarrow, 1883 Yarrow, 1883 | synonym |
| Bascanion flagellum frenatum Stejneger, 1893 Stejneger, 1893 | ambiguous synonym |
| Coluber testaceus Say, 1822 Say, 1822 | synonym |
| Psammophis flavigularis Hallowell, 1852 Hallowell, 1852 | synonym |
| Coluber flagellum Shaw, 1802 Shaw, 1802 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Masticophis&species=flagellum Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:88L9P. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.