Black Racer Snake

There are five subspecies of Black Racers that occur in Louisiana. They are:

 ~ The Southern Black Racer, Coluber constrictor priapus which is characterized by a black dorsum and slate gray or black venter;

 ~ The Black-masked racer, Coluber constrictor latrunculus, characterized by a slate gray dorsum, a bluish gray venter and a broad black stripe behind the eye;

 ~ The Eastern yellow-bellied racer, Coluber constrictor flaviventris characterized by an olive green dorsum and a light yellow venter;

 ~ The Tan racer, Coluber constrictor etheridgei, characterized by a light tan dorsum with some light spotting and a grayish white venter; and

 ~ The Buttermilk racer, Coluber constrictor anthicus, characterized by a blue, blue-black or blue-green dorsum with a variable amount of light spotting and a grayish white venter.

Despite their Latin name, Racers are NOT constrictors. They hunt prey, with their head held high, when it is spotted, they race towards it, seize it and then swallow it alive. They may chew on larger prey until they stop struggling.

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)

Buy Long Black Racer by naturegirl7

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
 

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

Black Racer Hunting by naturegirl7

Black Racers hunt down their prey. They move quickly along the forest floor, with their head held high, always alert. When prey is detected, Racers quickly grab it and swallow it whole, sometimes while it is still alive.

The "constrictor" in their scientific name is a misnomer. I suppose, it was once thought that they squeezed their prey, but now scientists know that they don't. However, the name sticks.

Black Racer Kinked Posture by naturegirl7

The odd looking "kinked" posture of this individual is often seen. Some believe that this is a defense mechanism. They look a lot like a fallen branch.

Another defensive reaction is that when threatened, if running away is not successful, they will hide in the brush and rattle their tails in dry leaves, sounding much like a rattlesnake.

Very young black racers are marked differently from the adult of the species. The young are speckled with black, white and tan spots. As they age, they darken into adult coloration.
 

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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.
 

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Buy Black Racer Sensing by naturegirl7

Did you know there are over 3,000 kinds of snakes in the world? There are garter snakes, water snakes, rattlesnakes, and boa constrictors. Some are very, very big and some are tiny. Some glide over the ground, some climb trees, some even swim. But there is one thing they all have in common: snakes are hunters. A Reading Rainbow selection.

Guide and Reference to the Snakes of Eastern and Central North America (North of Mexico)

"Photographic expertise, coupled with the extensive field experiences of the authors, makes this book a significant contribution to popular and semi-popular herpetological literature." -Jim Harding, Michigan State University This volume provides an up-to-date guide to the identification, range, habitat, and status of snakes found within eastern and central North America, from west Texas, to western Manitoba, to the eastern seaboard. Species accounts are grouped by family (Blind Snakes, File Snakes, Boas and Pythons, Colubrid Snakes, and two families of venomous snakes) and illustrated with 251 color photos showing species, subspecies and most natural intergrades and color phases. The descriptive text combines details of appearance, naturally occurring color morphs, behavior, range/habitat, prey, and look-alikes with the authors' personal field observations. Enhancing the text are 98 distribution maps. For ease of use, photos, range maps, and descriptive text are presented

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