Eastern Racer

Isn't this snake beautiful? This is the Eastern Racer (Coluber constrictor). The individual seen here was found under a metal boat near Meeman Biological Station in Shelby Forest State Park, in Millington, TN. The temperature was 60 degrees F under a partly cloudy sky and little wind (maybe a breeze or two). It was just one of those delicious days that couldn't have been better for hiking and happily stumbling upon herps of various species. We were pleasantly surprised to find this animal, since no snake had been found under that refuge in at least two years. Upon turning the boat over, this guy (or girl) started rattling its tail on the metal to sound like a rattlesnake. Behaving or looking like a poisonous species without being that species is called Batesian mimicry. After it got picked up, it skunked up the guilty guy with snake cologne, as snakes do before resorting to biting. As the name implies, this squamate is very fast, which helps it to hunt and also get away from predators like curious humans. Its favorite habitat is in more open grassy areas, which were near the boat it was under, though there are woods all around the station. It eats insects, frogs such as Southern Leopard frogs (Lithobates sphenocephalus) and Cricket frogs (Acris crepitans and Acris gryllis); and small mammals associated with open land such as the Eastern Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys humulis) and Prarie vole (Microtus ochrogaster). This particular snake has probably enjoyed a few white footed deermice and cotton deermice (Peromyscus leucopus and Peromyscus gossypinus, respectively) as well, since those rodents are known to have a home around the station. About this time of year, snakes are mating . Black racers lay 10-12 eggs in any kind of insulating nest such piles of humus and rotting vegetation or even in small mammal burrows like those of Eastern moles (Scalopus aquaticus). They need the insulation because temperature control for eggs is important in determining the sex of the offspring. Once the snakelets (?) hatch, they are on their own. You can recognize a juvenile by a patch pattern on its back that includes red or brown bands. This fades as the snake grows and sheds its skin a few times. Then it is the slate-grey color form observed above. It may be distinguished from the Black Rat snake because it lacks the rat snake's black belly markings and may not be as dark.
Michal Summers
University of Memphis, TN