turtles lizards snakes
frogs
Reptiles of the United States  
  Home Email Site map
A Guide to the Reptiles &
Amphibians of the United States
Home snakes lizards Turtles turtles salamanders
Snakes of the U.S.
UDG-Banner (55K)
 



Buttermilk Racer Range Map






Buttermilk Racer Video




Buttermilk Racer Juvenile

Home »» Snakes »» Colubridae (Colubrids) »» North American Racers »» Buttermilk Racer (Coluber constrictor anthicus)


Buttermilk Racer (Coluber constrictor anthicus)least-concern





Description: his racer occasionally reaches a length of 5 feet but is usually smaller. It is distinctively but variably colored. Primary color is blue, olive, or black. Many scales, either individually or in groups are contrastingly colored in cream, pale blue, or tan. It shares this varied pattern with the neighboring and aptly named, tan racer. All other subspecies, when adult, have a solid colored dorsum. Hatchlings are lighter than the adults and usually strongly patterned with darker dorsal saddles. Scales are smooth, in 17 rows to and beyond midbody, and 15 rows posteriorly. Anal scale is divided. The eyes are large and the pupil is round.


Habitat: Open longleaf pine woodlands and nearby grasslands where the snakes blend well with the patterns of dappled light.


Range: The buttermilk racer is found only in the United States, in southern Arkansas, Louisiana and southern and eastern Texas.


Found in these States: AR | LA | TX


Diet: They generally eat rodents, lizards and frogs, but as juveniles they will also consume various kinds of soft-bodied insects.


Reproduction: In C. constrictor, mating takes place in the spring from April until early June. Around a month later, the female lays three to 30 eggs in a hidden nest site, such as a hollow log, an abandoned rodent burrow, or under a rock. The juveniles hatch in the early fall. A newborn is 8 to 10 inches in total length. Maturity is reached around 2 years old. Eastern racers have been known to lay their eggs in communal sites, where a number of snakes, even those from other species, all lay their eggs together.


Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, tolerance of a broad range of habitats, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.


Taxonomy:

»» Kingdom: Animalia - Animals
   »» Phylum: Chordata - Chordates
     »» Subphylum: Vertebrata - Vertebrates
       »» Class: Reptilia - Reptiles
         »» Order: Squamata - Scaled Reptiles
           »» Suborder: Serpentes
             »» Superfamily: Colubroidea
               »» Family: Colubridae - Colubrids
                   »» Genus: Coluber
                     »» Species: Coluber constrictor - North American Racers
                       »» Subspecies: Coluber constrictor anthicus - Buttermilk Racer

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Coluber constrictor anthicus", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Content may have been omitted from the original, but no content has been changed or extended.

 

 

 

 


Recommended Books at Amazon.com


U.S. Guide to Venomous Snakes and Their Mimics     Venomous Snakebite in the Western United States     Venomous Snakes Of The Southeast     The 10 Most Dangerous Snakes in the United States and Canada



DISCLAIMER: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated websites.

 

 
 

Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 
Copyright © 2008 - Herpedia™.com