Western yellow-bellied racer
| 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) | |
The western yellow-bellied racer (Coluber constrictor mormon), also known as the western yellowbelly racer or western racer, is a snake subspecies endemic to the Western United States, including California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Montana and Colorado. It is a subspecies of the eastern racer. It is nonvenomous and is recognized by its long and very slender shape. 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.