Speckled Racer

(Drymobius margaritiferus)

Color Photographs © by and courtesy of Wolfgang Wüster

Speckled Racer (Drymobius margaritiferus)

Identification: Snake 30 to 50 inches in length. A sleek snake with a green-black body. Each scale with a conspiucous diamond-shaped yellow spot in its center. Partially concealed front edge of each scale blue and the exposed rear margin black.

Geographical Variation: A single subspecies occurs in the United States. Other populations occur in Mexico and southward.

Range (see map below left): The Speckled Racer occurs only in the extreme south-eastern part of Texas. The species is primarily tropical and is found as far south as Colombia.

Habitat: This species is found in thickets next to lakes, rivers, and streams.

Food: Frogs.

Behavior: The Speckled Racer is a fast and agile species. It is diurnal, but is seldom seen because its spends most of its time in dense brush thickets. This species is not poisonous, but will readily bite if handled or threatened.

Reproduction:  The clutch consists of 2 to 8 eggs. The eggs are laid between April and July.

Speckled Snake (Drymobius margaritierus)

Similar Species:

The Speckled Snake and its spotted scales is highly distinctive. It is unlikely to be confused with any other North American snake species.

Similar Species

No Similar Species