ODNR Division of Wildlife - A to Z Species Guide - Blue Racer

 Blue Racer

blue racer
Both the black racer (Coluber constrictor constrictor) and its larger relative, the blue racer (Coluber constrictor foxi) (pictured left), occur in Ohio. Some taxonomists no longer recognize the blue racer as a separate subspecies, and consider it synonymous with Coluber constrictor flaviventris, the Eastern yellow-bellied racer. Regardless, geographically distinct blue and black forms occur in the state.

Blue Racer
Coluber constrictor subspp.

At-a-Glance

• Length: 36-60 inches

• Peak Breeding Activity: April-July <

• Number of offspring: 3-32

• Typical Foods: insects, spiders, small frogs, small reptiles, and young rodents and shrews.

 
Description
The blue racer is a gun-metal gray with a distinct greenish cast. However, interbreeding often occurs in the area where the populations of the black and blue racer overlap, resulting in the blue and black racer intergrade, Coluber constrictor constrictor x foxi. This intergrade may be indistinguishable from either parent, or may possess their combined characteristics.

Habitat and Habits
The blue racer occurs in western Ohio. A diagonal line drawn across the state from Hamilton County to Ashtabula County would roughly mark the area where the populations of the black and blue racer overlap.

Although racers are among the swiftest and most graceful of all our snakes, their top speed is only 8 to 10 miles and hour. They are extremely nervous and become very aggressive when an attempt is made to capture them. They strike viciously and can inflict a painful bite with their small, but numerous teeth. When alarmed, they rapidly vibrate the tip of their tail, as do many other species of snakes.

Reproduction and Care of the Young
Females lay their eggs in hidden nests, such as a rotted stump or log, and old mammal burrow, or a nest cavity in the leaf litter or sand. The eggs usually hatch in August or early September.