The western yellow-bellied racer (Coluber constrictor mormon),[1] also known as the western yellowbelly racer[2] or western racer,[1] is a snake subspecies endemic to the Western United States, including California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Montana and Colorado.[3][4] It is a subspecies of the eastern racer. It is nonvenomous[5] and is recognized by its long and very slender shape.[6][7] It is visually similar to the eastern yellow-bellied racer, which is also green, blue or brown with a recognizable yellow underside. Also named for its color, the western yellow-bellied racer is also gray with red or brown blotches when young.[8][9]
| Western yellow-bellied racer | |
|---|---|
| |
| Closeup of the head of a western yellow-bellied racer in Washington state. | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Coluber |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | C. c. mormon
|
| Trinomial name | |
| Coluber constrictor mormon (Baird & Girard, 1852)
| |
References
edit- ^ a b Wrobel, Murray (2004). Elsevier's Dictionary of Reptiles. Elsevier. Page 122. ISBN 9780080459202.
- ^ Degenhardt, William G. and Charles W. Painter (2005). Amphibians and Reptiles of New Mexico. UNM Press. Page 13. ISBN 9780826338112.
- ^ Booth, Douglas E. (2002). Searching for Paradise: Economic Development and Environmental Change in the Mountain West. Rowman & Littlefield. Page 123. ISBN 9780742518766.
- ^ Matsuda, Brent M. and David M. Green (2006). Amphibians and Reptiles of British Columbia. Royal BC Museum. Page 209. ISBN 9780772654489.
- ^ Mullally, Linda B. and David (2008). Best Hikes with Dogs: Central California. The Mountaineers Books. Page 27. ISBN 9781594850493.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Brown, Philip (1997). A Field Guide to Snakes of California. Gulf Publishing Company. Page 58. ISBN 9780877193081.
- ^ Richardson, Adele (2003). North American Racer Snakes. Capstone. Page 15. ISBN 9780736821391.
- ^ Cox, Douglas C. and Wilmer W. Tanner (1995). Snakes of Utah. Brigham Young University. Page 28. ISBN 9780842523318.
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