ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT PROFILE

PROTECTION STATUS: Threatened

YEAR PLACED ON LIST: 1997

CRITICAL HABITAT: 154,834 acres in Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, and San Joaquin counties designated in 2006

RECOVERY PLAN: Draft 2003

RANGE: Alameda, Contra Costa, western San Joaquin and northern Santa Clara counties

THREATS: Habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation due to urban development, road construction, livestock grazing, and fire suppression

POPULATION TREND: Alameda whipsnakes have been fragmented into five mostly isolated sub-populations whose numbers are unknown, but which are certain to be rapidly declining as suitable habitat is lost to urban development. Whipsnakes were eliminated from 35 of 60 known historical localities by 1992.