The striped whipsnake occurs in the dry, southern central region of Washington, mainly in and around the Columbia River basin. Outside Washington, the striped whipsnake ranges widely through southern Idaho, eastern Oregon, eastern California, Nevada, Utah, western Colorado, northern Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas. These snakes live in dry habitats, including desert and dry forests. In Washington, they occur in dry valleys and plateaus, but farther south they occur in mountains. Cool Biology Facts.
Striped whipsnakes are fast, active daytime hunters.
While hunting, they often raise the head off the ground and move it from side to side. This is called triangulation, and helps them get better depth perception. The striped whipsnake is rare and protected in Washington. It is more common in much of its range outside of Washington. Photograph by Brad Moon.