Hemorrhois

Racers

Introduction

A genus consisting of four species formerly considered part of the genus Coluber.

	QUICK INDEX
H. algirus, Algerian Whip Snake	H. hippocreppis, Horseshoe Whip Snake	H. nummifer, Asian Racer
H. ravergieri, Spotted Whipsnake

Species	Common Name	Origin	Adult size	Notes
Hemorrhois
H. algirus	Algerian Whip Snake	Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Malta	Avg TL <100cm, max SVL 130-140cm	Preys mainly on rodents and lizards, sometimes birds, snakes or large insects. Scalation details: rostral slightly wider than deep; internasals shorter than prefrontals; 1-3 preoculars, 2-3 postoculars; 1 (sometimes 2) subocular; temporals 2+3; 9-10 supralabials, of which 5th & 6th normally contact eye (see KKS for occasional exceptions); 4-5 infralabials in contact with anterior submaxillaries. Dorsal scalation: 23-25 rows at midbody. Ventral scalation: laterally angulate, 209-237. Subcaudals: paired 83-110. Other: anal divided or undivided. Coloration: overall greyish, yellowish grey, greyish brown, brownish or pale olive; narrow black transverse dorsal bands; 2 rows of alternating dark spots on flanks; pale orange or yellowish tinge on forward flanks may be present. Ventrally uniform pale grey, whitish or yellowish white, sometimes pale orange or cream. Reproduction: females have greater number of ventrals, males of subcaudals. Juveniles are often bright yellow or reddish brown with contrasting pattern [SOURCE: KKS].
H. a. algirus		N Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Malta
H. a. intermedius		W Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania
H. hippocreppis	Horseshoe Whipsnake [F couleuvre fer à cheval, couleuvre rouge: D Hufeisennatter: E culebra de herradura]	Portugal (not extreme N), S & E Spain, S Sardinia, Pantellaria, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia		This species is easily recognisable within its range by the distinctive horseshoe-shaped marking on top of the head. The head is well-defined and the eyes fairly large. It can be found in dry and sunny places, including in the vicinity of human habitations. In Iberia it is found from sea level to 750m altitude, in the Haut Atlas mountains as high as 2,100m. Although terrestrial, it can also easily climb trees and bushes. It is usually diurnal but has sometimes been observed in the early evening up to about 21.30. Diet appears to be about predominantly small mammals, up to the size of young rabbits (reported from Pantellaria), but lizards are also taken as well as the occasional bird (up to thrush size) and eggs. The species is active all year round in S Portugal, but in C Iberia winters from October to March. Scalation details: 1-2 preoculars, 2 postoculars, 3-4 suboculars; temporals in a 3 x 3 or 2 x 3 pattern; 9 (rarely 8 or 10-11) supralabials, 10-11 sublabials of which 4 are in contact with the anterior submaxillaries. Dorsal scalation: smooth, in 25-29 (23-29 reported by KKS) rows at midbody. Ventral scalation: 220-258 ventrals. Other: anal divided; 72-109 subcaudals, paired but sometimes single behind cloaca. Coloration: overall olive, yellowish or reddish, but dark pigmentation gives a general impression of brown. Large number of dark-edged, darker blotches or saddles along back, plus irregular smaller lateral spots and markings. In old individuals the back may be completely dark and lack markings. Ventrum red, yellow or orange with small dark ventrolateral markings. The horseshoe-shaped mark on the head may join up with the first saddle. Reproduction: females have greater number of ventrals than males (222-258 as opposed to 214-242). Females in Alicante, Spain, have been observed with clutches from May to July. Clutches tend to be 5-6 eggs but have been known to number as high as 29 (from Pantellaria).
H. h. hippocrepis
H. h. nigrescens
H. nummifer	Asian Racer	Greece (Aegean islands), Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Egypt (Sinai desert), N Iraq, NE Iran, Armenia, E Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikstan
H. ravergieri	Spotted Whipsnake
H. r. ravergieri
H. r. cernovi
H. r. plumbeus

Bibliography

Reptiles and Amphibians, Vaclav Lanka and Zbysek Vit, Hamlyn Colour Guide, Prague, 1985

Lurche und Kriechtiere Europas, Engelmann, Fritzsche, Günther and Obst, Enke, Leipzig 1986.

Collins Field Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians of Britain & Europe, E N Arnold, J A Burton and D W Ovenden, HarperCollins, London 1978. An invaluable guide, although a few of the taxonomic details are in need of revision.

Reptiles and Amphibians of Europe, Walter Hellmich, Blandford Press, London 1962. Taxonomy is rather outdated but useful on details of appearance, habitat and subspecies.

Snakes of the World, Chris Mattison, Blandford Press.

Amphibians and Reptiles of North Africa, W Kästle, H H Schleich and K Kabisch, Koeltz Scientific Books, Germany 1996. Relevant to European species inasmuch as a fair number of those found in North Africa also occur in Iberia and the northern Mediterranean regions.

"An Introduction to Reptiles and Amphibians of the Greek Islands", David Buttle, Reptilian 3:7. Very useful article not just for the distribution of herps in the area but also for ecology and details of lesser-known species.

Links

Danish page on H. (C.) h. hippocreppis