▁able ▁to ▁escape ▁into ▁scr ub ▁or ▁trees ▁( US ▁Fish ▁and ▁Wild life ▁ 2 0 0 6 ). ▁ ▁Description ▁and ▁phys i ology ▁ ▁Ad ult s ▁reach ▁a ▁length ▁of ▁. ▁Their ▁back ▁is ▁colored ▁so oty ▁black ▁or ▁dark ▁brown ▁with ▁a ▁distinct ▁yellow - or ange ▁stri pe ▁down ▁each ▁side . ▁The ▁front ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Al amed a ▁wh ips nake ' s ▁unders ide ▁is ▁orange - ruf ous ▁colored ; ▁however , ▁the ▁mid section ▁is ▁cre am ▁colored , ▁and ▁the ▁rear ▁section ▁and ▁tail ▁are ▁p ink ish . ▁The ▁Al amed a ▁wh ips nake ▁is ▁a ▁sl ender , ▁fast - mov ing , ▁di urn al ▁s nake ▁with ▁a ▁broad ▁head , ▁large ▁eyes , ▁and ▁sl ender ▁neck . ▁ ▁Hab itat ▁and ▁distribution ▁ ▁Historical ▁range ▁ ▁The ▁wh ips nake ▁once ▁had ▁a ▁continuous ▁range ▁in ▁the ▁inner ▁Coast ▁R anges ▁in ▁western ▁and ▁central ▁Cont ra ▁Costa ▁and ▁Al amed a ▁count ies ▁( Cal iforn ia ) ▁which ▁is ▁now ▁fragment ed ▁into ▁five ▁populations ▁( US ▁Fish ▁and ▁Wild life ▁Service ▁ 1 9 9 7 ). ▁ ▁Pres ent ▁population ▁size ▁and ▁range ▁ ▁The ▁Al amed a ▁wh ips nake ▁population ▁has ▁been ▁fragment ed ▁into ▁five ▁mostly ▁isolated ▁sub pop ulations ▁whose ▁numbers ▁are ▁unknown , ▁but ▁which ▁are ▁certain ▁to ▁be ▁rapidly ▁decl ining ▁as ▁suitable ▁habitat ▁is ▁lost ▁to ▁urban ▁development . ▁Little ▁population ▁abund ance