We had a very successful class trip on March 26th. It was sunny and warm, perfect weather to find basking snakes as we did. We flipped over a boat and found a rat snake and black racer (Coluber constrictor) both under it. I immediately recognized the racer by its uniform black dorsum that fades into a white venter and the transition area almost glows. Both snakes are non-venomous so I decided to hold the racer. The racer is diurnal and usually pretty active I was lucky this one was really calm and did not try to bite me at all. Despite the name "constrictor" they do not actually constrict their prey but rather press them to the ground. They have a varied diet and will eat frogs, toads, rodents, lizards, birds, eggs and many other organisms. This individual was about 3 ft. long, close to full length, but some subspecies can reach up to 6 ft. long. So it was a pretty exciting day, we were lucky to encounter such beautiful snakes out there.
Jena Fay, TN
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