Overview
Interesting Facts
Common Names
Common Names in English:
Black Racer, Southern Black Racer, Racer
Description
Physical Description
Color:
Adults in the eastern and southeastern United States are uniformly black, both above and below, with smooth scales and a satiny appearance . Juveniles are patterned with a row of dark gray, brown, or reddish brown blotches down the length of the back. These are set against a background color of gray or bluish gray. This pattern disappears as the animal matures and the solid black color is present by the time individuals reach 90 cm (35.4 in) in length.
Size/Age/Growth
The Eastern Racer is a large, slender-bodied snake averaging 90 - 152 cm (35.4 - 59.8 in) in total length. The record is 185.4 cm (73 in) in total length. Hatchlings average about 29 cm (11.4 in) in total length. Racers are sexually mature by the time they reach 90 cm (35.4 in) in length . Females grow slightly larger than males.
Habitat
The Eastern Racer is a very active snake and is most frequently seen in open pine forests , forest edges, old fields , pastures, and meadows. It also is often seen crossing the road on warm, sunny spring days. It takes cover under rocks, logs , boards, or other suitable shelter , and is often found around abandoned farm homes and buildings.
Typically found in the intertidal zone at the water's edge at a mean distance from sea level of 11 meters (37 feet).[1]
Biome: Coastal.
Biology
Diet
The Eastern Racer is a very active snake and is most frequently seen in open pine forests , forest edges, old fields , pastures, and meadows. It also is often seen crossing the road on warm, sunny spring days. It takes cover under rocks, logs , boards, or other suitable shelter , and is often found around abandoned farm homes and buildings.
Reproduction
The Eastern Racer mates in the spring between March through May. Between May and June, 4 - 25 eggs are laid in warm, moist sites under logs , rocks, boards, in rotten stumps , sawdust piles, or in loose soils. The eggs hatch about two months later.
Behavior
Is eaten by other snakes , hawks, and small carnivorous mammals. If cornered or attacked it will vibrate its tail, thrash about, bite viciously, and discharge a foul-smelling musk from the vent .
Taxonomy
- Kingdom:
Animalia
(
)
- animals
- Subfamily:
Colubrinae
()
- Genus:
Coluber
()
- Linnaeus, 1758
- Specific name:
constrictor
- Subspecies:
priapus
- Scientific name: - Coluber constrictor priapus
- Subspecies:
priapus
- Specific name:
constrictor
- Genus:
Coluber
(
- Subfamily:
Colubrinae
(
Notes
Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: October 21, 1999.
Similar Species
The black phase of the Rat Snake has weakly keeled scales on the middle of the back and the body is shaped like a loaf of bread in cross section. The black phase of the Coachwhip has light pigment on the rear portion of its body and has a reddish tail.
Members of the genus Coluber
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 33 species and subspecies in this genus:
C. andreanus (Andreas' Racer) · C. bholanathi (Sharma's Racer) · C. brevis (Short Racer) · C. constrictor (Eastern Racer) · C. constrictor anthicus (Buttermilk Racer) · C. constrictor constrictor (Northern Black Racer) · C. constrictor etheridgei (Tan Racer) · C. constrictor flaviventris (Eastern Yellowbelly Racer) · C. constrictor foxii (Blue Racer) · C. constrictor helvigularis (Brown Chin Racer) · C. constrictor latrunculus (Black-Masked Racer) · C. constrictor oaxaca (Mexican Racer) · C. constrictor paludicola (Everglades Racer) · C. constrictor priapus (Southern Black Racer) · C. elegantissimus (Elegant Racer) · C. flagellum (Coachwhip) · C. flagellum flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip) · C. florulentus (Flowered Racer) · C. florulentus florulentus (Flowered Racer) · C. gracilis (Graceful Racer) · C. karelini (Spotted Desert Racer) · C. mentovarius (Neotropical Whip Snake) · C. messanai (Schatti's Racer) · C. mormon mormon (Western Yellow-Bellied Racer) · C. najadum (Ghamcheh Snake) · C. najadum najadum (Ghamcheh Snake) · C. rogersi (Rogers' Racer) · C. sinai (Sinai Racer.) · C. smithi (Smith's Racer) · C. thomasi (Thomas' Semi-Banded Racer) · C. variabilis (Variable Snake) · C. ventromaculatus (Hardwicke's Rat Snake) · C. ventromaculatus ventromaculatus (Hardwicke's Rat Snake)
More Info
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- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Further Reading
- Bulletin / Illinois Natural History Survey. Urbana, State of Illinois, Dept. of Registration and Education, Natural History Survey Division, 1918-1985. url p. 199.
- Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. 93 1943 Cambridge, Mass.: The Museum, 1863- url p. 129.
- FWS/0BS. [Washington]Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Dept. of the Interior. url p. 215.
- The hyoid and its associated muscles in snakes Urbana, University of Illinois Press, 1968. url p. 114.
- Tulane studies in zoology. 2 1955 New Orleans: Tulane University, 1953-1968. url p. 102, p. 93, p. 97.
Notes
Contributors
- Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 9, 2012.
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2547806
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Rep-7049
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13516005
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 209201
- Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: ARADB0701B
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 967
Footnotes
- Standard Deviation = 17.390 based on 3 observations. Terrestrial altitude and ocean depth information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
