Facts about Southern Black Racer Snakes
71Southern Black Racer snakes (Coluber constrictor priapus) are a common subspecies of the Coluber constrictor. They are nonvenomous and found in the Southeastern USA. Besides the Southern Black Racer, there are ten other subspecies of Coluber constrictors. As its name suggests, the Southern Black Racer is mainly dark in color, with a black dorsal side, a gray belly and white chin.
Southern Black Racer snakes prefer to live in wooded areas, brush and thicket, but can also be seen in more open ground, as long as there is cover nearby. As they are very active in the daytime and less afraid of humans than most snakes, it is fairly common to see black racer snakes in Florida in suburban yards.
Diet and behaviour
Southern Black Racer snakes are predators who live on frogs, toads, small rodents, lizards and other snakes – they essentially eat any small animal that they can overpower through suffocation or crushing them into the ground.
One of the key facts about Southern Black Racers to remember is that they are fast moving, hence their name, and will use their speed to escape from most threatening situations – if cornered, however, they can put up a strong fight and will bite hard and repeatedly. They have also been known to charge at people to frighten them on rare occasions. If they feel threatened, they are also known to vibrate their tails in leaves and grass in order to mimic the sound of a rattle snake. As well being very fast moving on land, Southern Black Racer snakes are also very good swimmers and tree climbers.
Southern Black Racer snakes do not like being handled by people generally. Even if they have been in captivity for many months, they will usually lash out. Although this snake's bites are nonvenomous, they are still painful.
Southern Black Racer Enemies
Man is the biggest enemy of Southern Black Racer snakes. Many are killed on the roads by cars. Some Black Racer snakes in Florida, because of their white chins, are mistaken for the venomous Water Moccasin, also known as a Cottonmouth and killed through misplaced fear. Non-human enemies of Black Racer snakes are mainly birds of prey, which swoop down on them from above.
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I hate snakes, so I had to read this! (Kind of like not being able to look away from a car accident.) : ) Interesting article.
I really came upon a Black Racer and if I did I might do the same as everyone else. Most people believe that the only good snake is a dead snake.
I encounter Southern Black Racers fairly regularly down here in Florida, I've seen five of them in the last six months. As soon as I know it's not a Water Moccasin/Cottonmouth, I relax a bit. It's important to remember that snakes form an important part of the ecosystem, even if us humans don't like them.
Although I cringe at the thought of encountering these, I do appreciate the need for education about them. Thanks for publishing a hub dedicated to black racers. Recently upon leaving church after a rainstorm, my son and his friend stepped on one trying to come in out of the rain. It whipped away so fast, we barely knew what to think. I'm glad they are not poisonous, although we do have cottonmouths, copperheads, and rattlesnakes in Tennessee. Keep writing!
hw they take managed with all these snakes
I saw a black racer so freaked out
Jlava73 Level 4 Commenter 8 months ago
Gross Snake,Great Article!