The dorsal scales are smooth, in fifteen rows at midbody. The anal plate is divided. The striped whipsnake eats amphibians, smaller snakes, and lizards. Three other important prey to the whipsnake are bird nestlings, bird eggs, and rodents. This snake is an active hunter that finds its food by vision and scent trailing, although vision plays the larger role out of the two.
Juvenile whipsnakes consume insects, including crickets, locusts, and cicadas.
Reproduction Females lay 3 to 12 bumpy-shelled eggs in the spring or early summer. The eggs take two to three months to hatch, and the slender young are about 14 inches long. This is a fast-moving and alert species. When threatened, Striped Whipsnakes will usually flee, seeking shelter in rocks, rodent burrows, or shrubs, but if cornered they often will stand their ground and strike at the intruder. In the southern part of its range this species is associated with open woodlands in mountainous terrain.