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I've seen some Black Snakes in my yard several times. It is tempting to want to bash them but they do a great service killing mice and rats and other undesirable visitors.
No no no you don't want to hurt these critters! Beats cats any day. Just the smell of a snake having been around is enough yo keep miss and other such pests at.bay. We don't have black snakes here ,Bull snakes, Racers and Kings. For constricter types. I don't molest them at all, unless I know a particarly bothersome gopher hole to go down and investigate. Then I gently guide them there.
Rattlers, Sidewinders and such still die if they get to hanging around the house. Sorry, but, too many less dangerous varieties toencourage being about.
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rivertowntalk
I'm not familiar with black racers, but have seen blue racers. First encounter was when I was a kid and my father had sent me back to the barn on foot to get retrieve something. When I was walking through the tallgrass, I noticed that, about 50 paces behind, the grass was obviously moving in sync with my movement. When I would stop, the movement in the grass would stop. I began to jog, and I could see movement in the grass speed up. I ran and it kept up with me. Had no idea what it was. It remained a safe distance back. I reversed and moved towards it and it did not move until I got fairly close and I saw the snake in the grass. Caught a glimpse of a blue steak. It moved away. This happened to me quite frequently when on foot in the tallgrass. Got used to it. Somehow, the blue racer would detect the movement and track along. They are super fast.
Same species. Coluber constrictor. Many subspecies, they often morph over broad areas. I love the blue racers and yellow bellied racers (which are blue) of the upper midwest. Truly beautiful animals.
Same species. Coluber constrictor. Many subspecies, they often morph over broad areas. I love the blue racers and yellow bellied racers (which are blue) of the upper midwest. Truly beautiful animals.
My favorite is probably the buttermilk racer.
All of the Coluber family are fantastic. Being very aggressive hunters and not opportunistic prey finders, they have considerable intelligence. Each seems to develop an individual personality.
As a kid I remember a very large Black snake that use to live near my grandparents house. Since Gramma would swat us with a broom if we disturbed the snake, we learned to appreciate it. Fantastic thing is it had seemed to recognize my grandmother and she could go out in the flower bed and pick it up whenever she wanted to. I never saw it try to get away from her. but it would scoot out of sight if us kids came too close. I think it recognized Gram.
Same species. Coluber constrictor. Many subspecies, they often morph over broad areas. I love the blue racers and yellow bellied racers (which are blue) of the upper midwest. Truly beautiful animals.
My favorite is probably the buttermilk racer.
I still always wonder how it picked up the species name constrictor, since it does not constrict.
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
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Well, I've seen racers feed, and haven't seen them practice true constriction. I'm not saying they don't, just haven't in any live or videos I've seen. Rat snakes, kingsnakes, sure... they do, you see it in captivity as well.
Well, I've seen racers feed, and haven't seen them practice true constriction. I'm not saying they don't, just haven't in any live or videos I've seen. Rat snakes, kingsnakes, sure... they do, you see it in captivity as well.
I see you are speaking of racers. I was thinking of "Black Snakes" Which are not the same critter although both are in the Coluber family.
You are correct racers do not constrict. I was surprized to just now discover that and never heard of a coluber that was not a constrictor.
Did a few google searches specifically on "Black Racers"
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
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I guess this is regional too, but black snakes refer to generally black racers., in my experience. Black ratsnakes (Pantherophis) often aren't black (and they aren't referred to as black ratsnakes anymore for most of their range, they've been broken up into eastern ratsnake and a few others), black kingsnakes (Lampropeltis) have a chunk of yellow often enough.... Through Florida up through the mid atlantic into New England 'black snakes' are almost entirely referring to black racers (northern black racer and southern black racer) from my experience. Where are you and what are you referring too as a black snake? This is the problem with common names of course.
I guess this is regional too, but black snakes refer to generally black racers., in my experience. Black ratsnakes (Pantherophis) often aren't black (and they aren't referred to as black ratsnakes anymore for most of their range, they've been broken up into eastern ratsnake and a few others), black kingsnakes (Lampropeltis) have a chunk of yellow often enough.... Through Florida up through the mid atlantic into New England 'black snakes' are almost entirely referring to black racers (northern black racer and southern black racer) from my experience. Where are you and what are you referring too as a black snake? This is the problem with common names of course.
Currently I am in North Dakota. Few snakes of any type. I grew up in CT and what we called a "Black Snake" back in the 1940s and 50s seems to be what is now called a Black Rat Snake.When I lived in Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma what we called a Black racer was much more slender and had the habit of holding it's head up.
I was under the impression they were in the coluber family but just discovered they are Pantherophis
Pantherophis alleghaniensis (42-72", up to 101") MA Status: "Endangered." Illegal to harass, kill, collect or possess.
Our largest snake, the black rat snake can reach a length of eight feet, but is usually much smaller. The adult snake is black with a white or creamy yellow chin and throat. In contrast to the black racer, the belly of a rat snake is a mixture of light and dark, giving a somewhat mottled appearance. Light areas are often apparent between scales, and the scales on the back are weakly keeled. A juvenile rat snake is gray with light spots running down the middle of the back, and has white eyes. This pattern darkens with age and is generally undetectable once the snake reaches a length of three feet.
Mating generally takes place in the spring, with 10-14 eggs laid in June or July. Eggs deposited beneath rocks or in manure piles, rotting vegetation, stumps or logs generally hatch in August and September.
Exceedingly rare in Massachusetts, black rat snakes have been found only in the Connecticut Valley and southern Worcester County, where they occupy rocky ledges and forested hillsides. Mammals, birds and bird eggs make up the bulk of their diet and rat snakes will readily climb trees to raid bird and squirrel nests. Young rat snakes feed on frogs and other small prey. Black rat snakes readily bask in the open during spring and fall. Although they are not particularly aggressive, they may bite, defecate or spray musk when handled. Tail rattling may lead some people to mistake them for rattlesnakes.
I grew up in the Connecticut Valley, from 1940 to 1959 and at the time they were very common. Nearly all I ever saw were well over 6 feet long.
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