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They are shy and use their great speed to escape humans, animal predators or any other threat. Southern black racers are not venomous snakes. Psychotic Nature/ Southern Black Racer: How Dangerous Are They? The diet of the southern black racer consists of mice, birds, baby rodents, birds eggs, and tree frogs.
#Southern black racer how to#
How to Identify a Southern Black Racer: Appearance and DescriptionĪn adult southern black racer snake has solid black scales on its upper body along with a white chin. The IUCN Red List has this reptile categorized as Least Concern. The population estimate for this snake is 1,000,000 mature adults and likely more. Southern Black Racer Population and Conservation Status
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It is in the Colubridae family and the class Reptilia. Its other name, North American racer, is more descriptive because this snake lives in areas other than the south. The Latin word Colubridae means serpent and constrictor points to the way this snake kills its prey. These snakes usually grow to a length of four and a half feet.Ĭoluber constrictor is the scientific name of the southern black racer snake.
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It also lives in northern areas of the United States including the states of Maine and Minnesota.
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However, the territory of this snake isn’t restricted to the southeast. These snakes live in the southeastern section of the United States including Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, and South Carolina. The southern black racer is sometimes called the North American black racer. This is a shy, skittish snake that moves away when it feels threatened.Baby black racers have gray or brown scales with a red splotch pattern for the first year of life.These reptiles can swim, climb trees and move across the ground at a very fast rate of speed.A female can lay up to 23 eggs in one clutch.This snake has a habit of lifting its head and long neck several inches off the ground to scout out its surroundings. They are carnivores eating rodents, birds, bird eggs, and lizards. Though it’s known as a constrictor, it doesn’t kill its prey like other constrictor snakes like boa constrictors. This snake is not venomous but uses its great speed to escape predators and other threats. The southern black racer lives in the United States and Mexico. “The southern black racer spends the winter in dens with many other types of snakes.”
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