Dorsally, it has a series of large spots which are either blackish or dark brown edged with black.

[5][6][7][8] The natural habitats of H. hippocrepis are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rocky areas, rocky shores, sandy shores, arable land, pastureland, plantations, rural gardens, and urban areas.

[3] Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Hemorrhois.

The horseshoe whip snake is assessed as being of "Least Concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in its Red List of Threatened Species.

Threats it faces include being run over by traffic, poisoned by agricultural chemicals and being captured for use by local snake charmers.