Bascanion, Bascanium, Coryphodon, Herpetodryas Masticophis is a genus of colubrid snakes, commonly referred to as whip snakes or coachwhips, which are endemic to the Americas.

[1] They are characterized by having a long, thin body and are not dangerous to humans.

[1] Adults of species in the genus Masticophis may attain a total length (including tail) from 152 cm (5 ft) for M. lateralis to 259 cm (8.5 ft) for M. flagellum.

A distinctive character of this genus is the shape of the frontal scale (the large scale in the center of the upper surface of the head) which is bell-shaped and elongated.

At the rear of the body, the dorsal scales are arranged in only 13 rows.