▁species ▁of ▁col ub rid ▁s nake ▁distinguish able ▁by ▁its ▁broad ▁head , ▁large ▁eyes , ▁black ▁and ▁orange ▁color ing ▁with ▁a ▁yellow ▁stri pe ▁down ▁each ▁side , ▁and ▁a ▁sl ender ▁neck . ▁The ▁California ▁wh ips nake ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁California ' s ▁northern ▁and ▁coast al ▁chap ar ral . ▁The ▁Al amed a ▁wh ips nake ▁is ▁a ▁w ary ▁creature ▁known ▁for ▁its ▁speed ▁and ▁clim bing ▁ab ilities ▁util ized ▁when ▁esc aping ▁pred ators ▁or ▁hunting ▁pre y . ▁In ▁winter ▁months , ▁the ▁Al amed a ▁wh ips nake ▁hi bern ates ▁in ▁rock ▁cre v ices ▁and ▁rod ent ▁bur rows . ▁ ▁Since ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁the ▁Al amed a ▁wh ips n akes ▁have ▁been ▁elimin ated ▁from ▁ 3 5 ▁of ▁ 6 0 ▁historical ▁local ities . ▁The ▁s nake ▁was ▁first ▁collected ▁by ▁Arch ie ▁M oss man ▁and ▁later ▁described ▁by ▁R iem er ▁ ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 . ▁Un like ▁the ▁major ▁species , ▁the ▁California ▁Wh ips nake , ▁the ▁Al amed a ▁Wh ips nake ▁has ▁been ▁reduced ▁to ▁just ▁five ▁areas ▁with ▁little ▁or ▁no ▁inter change ▁due ▁to ▁habitat ▁loss , ▁alter ation , ▁and ▁fragment ation . ▁The ▁biggest ▁threat ▁to ▁the ▁Al amed a ▁Wh ips nake ▁is ▁human ▁development ▁in ▁the ▁s nake ' s ▁habitat . ▁Urban ▁spraw l ▁is ▁increasing ▁at ▁a ▁rapid ▁rate , ▁and ▁introdu cing ▁the