Racer Snake

A racer is any of numerous large, rapid nonvenomous snakes in the Colubridae family. Racers in North America are members of a single species, Coluber constrictor, whereas racers in Southeast Asia are members of the genus Elaphe. Blue racers are a subspecies of C. constrictor found in central and western North America. They are typically greenish blue, plain bluish, grey, or brownish in colour, with yellow bellies on occasion. The eastern subspecies is known as the black snake because it is all black with the exception of a patch of white on the chin and throat. All subspecies' young are blotched or speckled.

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From southern Canada to Guatemala, C. constrictor could be found. Despite its scientific name, C. constrictor doesn't really kill by constriction; instead, it uses the weight of its coils to continue holding its prey—generally a small warm-blooded animal—before swallowing it.

North American racers have long, slender tails, large eyes, and smooth scales. Some measure 1.8 metres (about 6 feet) in length. They are active during the day and are one of the fastest snakes, travelling at a speed of 5.6 km/h (3.5 mph) on the ground as well as through shrubs. They vibrate their tails and strike frequently if cornered. Coachwhip colour phases are known as red racers and western black racers in the western United States. Coachwhip is similar to coachwhip.

Blue Racer Snake

Coluber constrictor foxii, often known as the blue racer, is a subspecies of Coluber constrictor, a nonvenomous colubrid snake species that is also known as the eastern racer.

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Distribution

Open and semi-open habitats, old field shoreline, savanna, and edge habitats are preferred by blue racers. C. c. foxii's ecological demands are likely to be met by a mosaic of these environments.

Blue racer populations are presently found exclusively in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Iowa in the United States. On mainland Canada, the last trustworthy report of the blue racer was in Ontario in 1983. On Ontario's Pelee Island, the blue racer is limited to the island's eastern two-thirds.

Description

The ventral scales of blue racers are typically creamy white, with dull grey to dazzling blue lateral scales and a pale brown to dark grey dorsum. They also do have distinctive huge eyes, black masks, and rostral scales that are frequently brownish-orange (snouts). Hatchlings and yearlings (first full active season) possess dorsal blotches which disappear completely by end of the third year, but juvenile patterning on the venter still seems to be apparent until late in the snake's third season, unlike adults.

The blue racer has been one of Ontario's largest snakes, with a snout-to-vent length ranging from 90 to 152 cm. On Pelee Island, the largest reported specimen was 138 cm SVL. Even though there has been certain debate about whether C.c. foxii should be considered a separate subspecies from C.c. flaviventris (the eastern yellow-bellied racer), most contemporary sources agree that the subspecies C.c. foxii is genuine.

Behavior/Adaptability

Blue racers appear to be sensitive to high levels of human activity, and they spend the majority of their active season in locations with low human density. Radio telemetry data from both eastern fox snakes and blue racers that frequented the very same general locations on Pelee Island supports this theory. Eastern fox snakes, in comparison to blue racers, were frequently discovered under front porches, in barns/garages, and in home foundations, although most blue racers were seen in more "natural" settings. As a result, blue racers are restricted to locations with little human activity. Racers have been among the first snakes to vanish from residential areas, according to Campbell and Perrin.

Blue racers are foragers who are always on the go. Adult snakes eat rodents, songbirds, as well as other snakes, but younger snakes may eat crickets and many other insects. Adults forage on both the ground and in the trees. Blue racers are active during the day. Larger birds of prey (e.g., red-tailed hawk, great horned owl, northern harrier) and carnivorous animals (e.g., foxes, raccoons, and coyotes) are likely natural predators of adult blue racers. Juvenile blue racers have been observed to be killed or harassed by dogs and feral house cats. A greater range of avian and mammalian predators are expected to prey on the eggs and young.

Reproduction

The blue racer is oviparous, with a typical clutch size of 14.72.53for seven females. Females may reproduce once a year, but it's more likely that they reproduce twice a year. Males can reach physiological maturity at 11 months, but they won't be able to mate till their second full year; females may reach physiological maturity at 24 months, but they won't be able to procreate until the following year.

Mating starts in April and lasts until the end of May. In late June, females oviposit, and eggs undergo hatching between mid-August and late-September. Female blue racers employ fallen decaying logs as their primary nesting microhabitat, but eggs are sometimes placed under huge rocks and in piles of decaying organic debris. Communal nest sites, both intraspecific and interspecific (with the eastern fox snake), have been observed and seem to be rather common.

Conservation

The snake has still not been evaluated for conservation on the IUCN Red List, however the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada has categorised it as endangered in Canada. The state of Wisconsin has designated it as a species of greater significance.

Since 1971, the blue racer has been on Ontario's Endangered Species List. As a result, habitat that has been identified as vital to the snake's survival is protected under Ontario's Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Conservation Land Tax Incentive Program, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, geographically delimited and formally identified blue racer "habitat" on Pelee Island in 1998. The OMNR ruled that such lands must be safeguarded from damage or human involvement following the spatial definition (or mapping) of this habitat, as specified by the ESA. The ESA's habitat conservation has important land-use consequences, especially because a large portion of the blue racer habitat listed is on private land.

Black Racer Snake

The eastern racer (Coluber constrictor) is a nonvenomous snake belonging to the Colubridae family. This species is only found in North and Central America. There are eleven subspecies, such as the nominotypical subspecies, that are collectively known as the eastern racers. In the genus Coluber, the species is monotypic.

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Geographic range: C. constrictor could be distributed east of the Rocky Mountains throughout the United States, as well as north into Canada and south into Guatemala, Mexico, and Belize.

Description 

The overall length (including tail) of adult eastern racers can range from 50 to 152 cm (20 to 60 in) based on the subspecies, however a record-sized specimen measured 185.4 cm (73.0 in). The average adult specimen weighs roughly 556 g (1.226 lb), with minimal difference in size between the sexes.

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The patterns differ greatly between subspecies. The majority of them are solid colours, as their names suggest: black racers, blue racers, tan racers, brown racers, or green racers. In their common names, "runner" is occasionally used instead of "racer." The underbelly of all subspecies is lighter in colour: white, pale brown, or yellow. The patterning in juveniles seems to be more dramatic, with a middorsal row of dark blotches on a light ground colour. The tail isn't patterned in any way. The dorsum darkens as they become older, and the juvenile pattern fades away.

Behavior 

Eastern racers are diurnal snakes that move quickly and are very active during the day. Small rodents, toads, lizards, frogs, and other snakes make up the majority of their food. Certain subspecies have been observed climbing trees in order to consume eggs and young birds. Soft-bodied insects, including crickets and moths, are frequently consumed by juveniles.

Despite their specialised name, constrictor, they do not typically use constriction; instead, they subdue fighting prey by pinning it to the ground and squeezing one or two coils against it to keep it in place rather than smothering it. The majority of smaller prey is just consumed whole. They're curious snakes with exceptional vision who will occasionally raise their heads beyond the height of the grass where they're crawling to check what's going on. Racers, as their name implies, are extremely fast and often flee from a prospective predator. Once trapped, however, they put up a valiant struggle, biting hard and frequently.

They writhe, excrete, and emit a foul-smelling scent from their cloacae, making them difficult to handle. Racers may sound convincingly like rattlesnakes by vibrating their tails among dry leaves.

Habitat

C. constrictor is most commonly found near water, although it can also be found in trash piles, brush, marshes, roadsides, and suburbia; this is the most prevalent snake in Florida's residential neighbourhoods. It spends a lot of time mostly on ground, however it is a strong tree climber and could be seen in shrubs and trees wherein small adult birds like canaries, finches, and thrashers could be looted for eggs and chicks.

Eastern racers prefer wide, grassland-like settings where their sharp eyesight and speed may be put to good use, but they're also seen in light woodland and semiarid areas. They are generally not far from a place where they may hide.

Reproduction

Mating happens in the spring, from April to early June, in C. constrictor. The female lays three to thirty eggs in a camouflaged nest site, including a hollow log, an old rodent burrow, or below a rock, about a month later. Early in the fall, the young hatch. A newborn's entire length is 8–10 in (20–26 cm). Maturity occurs around the age of two. Eastern racers were observed laying their eggs in communal areas in which a large number of snakes, including those of different species, all deposit their eggs at the same time.