Eastern Racer

(Coluber constrictor)

"Northern Black Racer"

Color Photograph: Ohio Department of Natural Resources

"Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer"

Color Photograph: U.S. National Parks Service

"Buttermilk Racer"

Color Photograph: © by and courtesy of James Henderson and Forestry Images

"Everglades Racer"

Eastern Racer (Coluber constrictor)

Identification: Snake 34 to 77 inches in length. A large, slender, and fast moving animal. This species is almost characterized by having no stripes, bars, or other maculation (although see the description of the young given below. Color variable; black, gray, brown, blue, or greenish. Underside white, gray, or yellow. Lower preocular scale triangular and wedged between two upper labial scales. Scales smooth and anal plate divided. Young: Typically light gray with large dark brown or dark gray spots, spots typically fading out and color darkening as the snake matures.

Geographical Variation:

Northern Black Racer (C. c. constrictor): Black with black upper lip scales; chin white. Range: Maine and southern Ontario southward to the northern parts of Georgia, Alabama, and eastern Mississippi, westward to eastern Ohio.

Yellow-bellied Racer (C. c. flaviventris): Pale blue, blue-green, olive green, gray or brown above; underside yellow to cream-colored. Range: Western Ohio westward to eastern Montana, southward through the Great Plains States to northern Arkansas, western Louisiana, and southeastern Texas.

Buttermilk Racer (C. c. anthicus): Body black, blue, or blue-green, or gray; body may be (but not always is) speckled with white dots, dots varying in size from minute to large patches of white on the darker body color. Range: South Arkansas into Louisiana and eastern Texas.

Tan Racer (C. c. etheridgei): Body light tan with pale spots. Range: West-central Louisiana westward into eastern Texas.

Brown-chinned Racer (C. c. helvigularis): Dark gray. Lips and chin brown. Range: Florida Panhandle and nearby regions of southern Georgia.

Black-Masked Racer (C. c. latrunculus): Body dull, dark gray and belly light gray-blue; black stripe behind the eye. Range: Southeastern Louisiana.

Southern Black Racer (C. c. priapus): Very much like the "Northern Black Racer", but with more white on the chin and the iris of the eye red, or orange, not brown. Range: North Carolina southward to the Florida Everglades and westward to southeastern Oklahoma and Arkansas, south-eastern Louisiana and slightly into Texas.

Everglades Racer (C. c. paludicola): Body blue-green to gray; belly white with pale gray markings. Range: Florida Everglades.

Mexican Racer (C. c. oaxaca): Back gray-green, sides of body lighter. Range: Southern Texas, southward into Mexico.

Range (see map on left): The Eastern Racer occupies almost all of the eastern and central United States, but is absent from the extreme north-central parts of the country. This species extends as far northward as south-eastern Ontario, and westward to Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, eastern New Mexico, and eastern Texas and northeastern Mexico.

Habitat: This common species occupies a wide variety of habitats including pastures, farmland, open wooded areas near prairie, hillsides, and pinelands. It appears to be absent (for the most part) from heavily forested areas.

Food: A wide variety of prey including insects, frogs, lizard, other snakes, small mammals, and birds.

Behavior: The Eastern Racer is diurnal and moves rapidy through its habitat with its head held up above the surrounding vegetation. It can climb, but is almost always seen on the ground. The species is commonly seen crossing roads. When threatened it will vibrate its tail in dead vegetation making a rattleing sound. If grabbed it is far from docile and will try to bite repeatedly and writhe strongly.

Reproduction:  The clutch consists of 5 to 28 eggs and is laid in tree stumps, under logs or rocks, and sometimes in a mammal burrow. Sometimes the eggs will be laid in a communal nest of two or more females. Eggs hatch from June to September.

Eastern Racer (Coluber constrictor)

Similar Species:

Pine Snake (Pituophis melanoleucus)

Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta)

Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon corais)