What is the difference between a black snake and a black racer

Racers have more angular heads than do rat snakes. They have a rather blunt, squared off nose. Their facial expression is a serious one. The iris is dark and often does not stand out against the pupil. In cross section, rat snakes are loaf-of-bread shaped, whereas racers are round. But this may be difficult to determine as the snake crawls along.

While rat snakes can move quickly when they want or need to, they typically slither along at a slow and steady pace or sit quite still, waiting for prey to move.

Racers often move along quickly and purposefully while seeking out prey under leaves, pine needles, behind objects, poking their noses into every crevice along the way. Rat snakes have keeled scales. There are ridges running down the center of each scale, at least on the dorsal surface.

Racers do not have these keels and so are smooth scaled. One more thing, while both snakes would rather not have dealings with you, racers are more likely to stand their ground, sometimes shake their tail like a rattler, or even come at you when they feel threatened.

Of course, they are non-venomous so no worries there. So, the next time you see either of these snakes, whether here at the Museum or off in the wild somewhere else, you should now be better armed to make an informed identification of what your looking at. Thank you! Additionally, racers lack the upturned nose of hognose snakes and keeled scales of hognose and rat snakes. When observed from a distance, behavior is often the best way to differentiate a racer from other species.

While rat snakes, king snakes, and hognose snakes generally freeze when approached, racers usually flee rapidly or sometimes stand their ground and attempt to strike. Young racers do not resemble adults and are generally tan or grayish with a series of brown or reddish blotches running down the center of the back. These blotches are more rounded less square than those of young rat snakes and watersnakes. Additionally, young racers are more slender and have larger eyes than juveniles of most other snakes in our region.

The juvenile pattern of young racers fades to black when the snakes are about 12 in long. Range and Habitat: Black racers are found throughout the eastern U. Other subspecies such as yellow-bellied racers are found in the Central U. Racers are found in all areas of South Carolina and Georgia and among the most common snakes in nearly all habitats.

Racers are habitat generalists and can be found in nearly any habitat in the Southeast. However, they are most abundant in edge habitats such as forest edges, old fields, and wetland edges.

They are also often found in moderately disturbed or agricultural habitats. Racers are not aggressive and avoid direct contact with people and pets. Virtually all bites occur when the snakes are intentionally molested. Eastern Indigo Snake Drymarchon couperi Non-venomous. Eastern Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum Non-venomous.

Eastern Ratsnake Pantherophis alleghaniensis Non-venomous. Pygmy Rrattlesnake Sistrurus miliarius Venomous. Most adult North American Racers are about inches cm in total length, with a record length recorded of 72 inches cm. This is a long and slender snake with smooth scales in 17 dorsal rows at midbody.

The belly is grayish to black and without any markings. The head is only slightly distinct from the neck. The pupil is round, and the eyes are large and prominent.

Juveniles are gray with distinct reddish-brown blotches running down the back of the head and body that gradually fade into a solid-colored tail. The juvenile pattern gradually changes to the adult pattern and is completely replaced after about two years. North American Racers occupy a wide variety of habitats, such as pine flatwoods, hardwood hammocks, prairies, sandhills, scrub, cypress strands, melaleuca forests, and limestone outcroppings.

Adults and juveniles of this species are often found in suburban neighborhoods where development encroaches into favorable habitats. Defensive behavior. When approached, racers will typically flee for shelter, relying on speed and agility to avoid capture. However, if they are cornered, both juveniles and adults will strike at the attacker and rapidly vibrate the tip of the tail, which produces a buzzing sound in leaf litter. If grabbed or pinned, they will readily bite the attacker.

Nonetheless, these snakes are not aggressive, and striking is only used in defense as a last resort. Diet and feeding behavior. North American Racers are opportunistic and diurnal predators with a diet as varied as their choice of habitat. They are known to feed on small mammals, birds and their eggs, lizards, turtles, snakes, frogs, salamanders, fishes, insects and spiders.

In Florida, frogs, lizards, and small snakes make up the majority of their diet. Despite their scientific name Coluber constrictor , racers are not true constrictors and overpower their prey by simply grabbing it in their jaws and pressing it against the ground until it stops struggling or by quickly swallowing it alive. In Florida, females lay around white oval eggs, which typically hatch between May and October.

The eggs are often laid in loose debris such as leaf litter, sand, or rotting logs. Three subspecies are currently recognized in Florida.