Black Racer Snake

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 17 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #17 in Animals, #823 overall

Blue Runner, Black Runner - Beneficial and Beautiful


Black Racers are very fast black snakes with a bluish cast to their scales. Other names for this handsome, non-venomous snake are Blue Racer, Blue Runner and Black Runner. The Southern Black Racer occurs in habitats all over Louisiana and through most of the Southeast. Most Racers do not enjoy being handled. Black racers eat mostly mice and rats, so are extremely beneficial snakes to have around.
 

Black Racers

are often called Blue Runners or Blue Racers because of the blue tinge of their scales. They move very quickly and can be out of sight in the blink of an eye.

Coluber constrictor Linnaeus 


There are five subspecies of Black Racers that occur in Louisiana. They are: the Southern Black Racer which is characterized by a black dorsum and slate gray or black venter; the black-masked racer, characterized by a slate gray dorsum, a bluish gray venter and a broad black stripe behind the eye; the eastern yellow-bellied racer, characterized by an olive green dorsum and a light yellow venter; the tan racer, characterized by a light tan dorsum with some light spotting and a grayish white venter; and the buttermilk racer, characterized by a blue, blue-black or blue-green dorsum with a variable amount of light spotting and a grayish white venter.

Racers are constrictors that kill their prey by wrapping around it until it is dead and then swallowing it whole.

Racers lay clutches of 6 to 18 granular white eggs from June through September in such places as soft moist soil beside decaying logs, in decaying wood pulp or in depressions in clumps of grass. The hatchlings don't look like the adults and have light-colored bodies with dark blotches along the back and sides.

 



(reference: Dundee, Harold A. and Douglas A. Rossman, The Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana)

Long Black Racer print
Buy Long Black Racer by naturegirl7

Racer Subspecies 


A. Southern black racer, Coluber constrictor priapus
B. Black-masked Racer, Coluber constrictor latrunculus
C. Eastern yellow-bellied racer, Coluber constrictor flaviventris
D. Tan racer, Coluber constrictor etheridgei
E. Buttermilk racer, Coluber constrictor anthicus
F. Juvenile racer, Coluber constrictor

 

racers*


*photo reference: Dundee, Harold A. and Douglas A. Rossman, The Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana

Adult Black Racer 

black racer

The photo was taken early in the spring, when the weather was still cool. This Black Racer is still a little sluggish and is trying to warm its body in the sun.

Snakes of the Southeast 

Snakes Of The Southeast (Wormsloe Foundation Nature Book)

Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 07/05/2009)Buy Now

This is a wonderful book with good information and great pictures. Every snake lover from the southeastern United Snakes should have this book in their personal library.

Young Black Racer 

black racer baby

Notice the hint of blue where the sun is hitting the scales of this young Black Racer. This is why one of the common names of the species is Blue Runner.

Southern Black Racer Facts 

The Southern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor priapus) is one of the more common subspecies of non-venomous snakes in the Southeastern United States. These snakes are quite active during the day, which increases the chance of sightings. They will eat almost any animal they can overpower, including, rodents, frogs, toads, and lizards. They have been known to charge at people in an attempt to frighten them, but will usually retreat ? if challenged. Members of this species generally do not tolerate handling ? even after months in captivity ? and will typically strike and flail wildly every time they are handled. These snakes are usually thin with a jet black dorsal side with a grey belly and white chin. They are quite fast, giving rise to the name "racer".

Baby Black Racers 


Very young black racers are marked differently from the adult of the species. The young are speckled with black, white and tan spots.
 

Young Black Racer print
Buy Young Black Racer by naturegirl7



Black Racers also have a reputation for biting when they are caught. It seems that they develop this defense mechanism very early in life as you can see by the picture below. We happily released the little bugger after the brief photo op.
 

Baby Black Racer Bites print
Buy Baby Black Racer Bites by naturegirl7

Snakes of the U.S. and Canada 

Snakes of the United States and Canada

Amazon Price: $60.67 (as of 07/05/2009)Buy Now

Black Racer YouTube Video 

Herping with Dylan: Blue Racer

A Blue Racer I managed to corner in a tree.

Runtime: 1:23
6019 views
10 Comments:

powered by YouTube

Samantha the Black Racer 

The Adventures of Samantha The Black Racer Snake

Amazon Price: $18.00 (as of 07/05/2009)Buy Now

Black Racer Sensing Our Presence 

Best of Naturally Native Squids Blog RSS Feed 

Features outstanding lenses about nature, animals, native plants, gardening (especially ecologically healthy gardening), green living and all things natural

Loading Fetching RSS feed... please stand by

Black Racer Photos 

Black Racer by Steve Byland

I came across this fellow on a walk through a meadow in Cape May, New Jersey thi...

Black Racer by CharmCityReptile

a lifer for me, i've always found black rat snakes, this is my first racer, colu...

Black Racer at Hibernaculum (2008) by dryoptera

"The racer is the only large, black snake in New England with smooth sc...

Southern Black Racer by Darren K. Osgood Photography

Southern Black Racer Snake

Black Racer Snake by donaldmullaney

I came upon this Black Racer snake at the Loxahatchee Nat. Wildlife Refuge.

Black Racer (Coluber constrictor) by Dotty Motta by Manatee County Conservation Lands Management

Photo by Dotty Motta Black Racer Coluber constrictor

Other Louisiana Snake Lenses 

 

 

Black Racer poster 

Black Racer Blog Posts 

Heather of the Hills: "Local couple saves wild snake"
I've never heard of a Pine Snake before, but I just googled it and they look pretty doggone big! Larger than this Black Racer we had, for sure! The very last close-up photo is just a crop down of the one above it. ...
Of Running and Parenting: Woman Vs. Wild
It was probably just a harmless black snake. Right?? My mom once told me of a snake she called a "black racer" that chased her as a child. Maybe that's a "rural legend" (as opposed to an urban legend since she grew up in the country), ...
Felis pushkini: The Haunt of the Black Rat Snake
1) Ignorant people who just don't understand and who would maim or kill any snake, non-poisonous or poisonous. The black rat snake is non-poisonous, but you still don't want to upset one. (I've seen a couple of much smaller snakes, ...
Black Racer on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Note the much heavier, square-edged body of the rat snake. Visitor--Black Rat Snake by cotinis. The rat snake typically has white on much of the underside--the racer typically only white under the chin. (I think there is an error in ...

Race off a Comment! 

AbbasAbedi wrote...

Excellent Lens. 5*

If you get a chance check out my Instant Stress Management lens.

ReplyPosted June 05, 2009

KimGiancaterino wrote...

Blessed by a Squid Angel.

ReplyPosted April 29, 2009

Sarunas wrote...

Awesome lens.
I gave you 5 stars.
Keep it up. :)

ReplyPosted April 27, 2009

lakeerieartists wrote...

This is an excellent lens. Blessings.

ReplyPosted April 16, 2009

Janusz wrote...

Blessed by a Squid Angel :)

ReplyPosted April 13, 2009

 
1 of 3 pages

 

by naturegirl7

giantsquid100badgeMy husband and I have always loved nature and the outdoors. We currently maintain a 9 acre private wildlife preserve and are Master Gardeners and offi... (more)
Create a Lens!