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 Florida
Snakes: Racer & Rat Snakes |
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 Brown
Chinned Racer- Brown chinned racers are fast, sleek, slender
and graceful Florida snakes. Similar to the Southern Black racer, this
subspecies can be distinguished by its slate black color and its tan or
brown lip scales and throat. This snake preys on
rats, mice,
frogs toads,
lizards, birds
and other snakes, swallowing its prey alive. This snake is not venomous
but will probably try to bite if cornered.  Southern
Black Racer- Racers are large, active snakes with smooth, shiny
scales. Adults average 23 to 50 inches in length, while young are about
15 inches long. Racers prefer dry open fields, meadows, forest clearings
and prairies. They are active in the daylight hours and can be
relatively easy to spot in the field because they often forage with
their head and neck raised above their body. Racers often bask in the
sun in low brush and can quickly disappear from view, thus the name
“racer.” They are the only species that will occasionally charge at a
person. This behavior is a bluff and the racer will retreat if
challenged. Racers eat a variety of rodents, insects, amphibians, other
reptiles, birds, and bird eggs. The Southern Black Racer
is an excellent swimmer and climber, and is aptly named because it has
incredible speed and is very difficult to capture. Despite being
classified as a constrictor, the Racer is more likely to
suffocate or crush its victim into the ground rather than coiling around
it in typical constrictor fashion. Breeding and egg laying occurs
between March and August. Up to 20 eggs are laid but like most reptiles,
no interest is taken in hatching or rearing young. Newly hatched Racers
are about 6" in length and rely on their juvenile camouflage for
survival. Everglades
Racer- A subspecies of the Southern Black Racer, the
Everglades Racer looks similar, but can be identified by the lack of
black coloration. Everglades Racers are either grayish or blue-green
above and has a whitish underside with a tinge of blue. A swift snake,
the Everglades Racer is difficult to catch. This snake has a maximum
length of six feet and can be found in the Everglades, Big Cypress
Swamp, and the Upper Florida Keys in Florida. Everglades Racers are
active during the day and feed on lizards, insects, moles, birds, eggs,
small snakes, rodents and
frogs. Rat
Snake- Rat snakes are found throughout every southeastern state
and most of the eastern and Midwestern states as far north as southern
New England and southern Michigan Adult rat snakes are typically 3-5
feet, but large individuals may be more than 6 feet long. The
appearance of rat snakes varies greatly throughout the geographic range.
Yellow rat snakes are greenish, yellow, or orange with four dark stripes
running the length of the body. Gray rat snakes are dark to light gray
with darker gray or brown blotches. The juveniles of all subspecies
resemble the gray rat. Rat snakes are among the most valuable Florida
snakes because of their skill in killing rats and mice. The yellow rat
snake is a powerful constrictor and is the best tree climber of all
Florida snakes. The gray rat or oak snake is found mostly in wooded
areas around swamps. The grayed
colored rat snake is most common in the Florida panhandle, but is also a
common snake sold in pet stores. The Gulf Hammock and Everglades rat
snakes are subspecies of the Florida rat snake. Red
Rat Snake- The Red Rat Snake, often called the corn snake in
Florida, live near pinelands, hardwood hammocks, swamps, agricultural
fields, and residential areas. Corn snakes are one of the most colorful
snakes in Florida. Adult Red rat Snakes are orangish-brown with black
bordered orange, red, or brownish blotches. The belly usually is a black
and white checkerboard pattern, though orange may also be present. The
underside of the tail has 2 black stripes. Adult red rat snakes reach a
length of 18-44 inches. Red rat Snakes are found throughout peninsular
Florida. The species ranges west to Louisiana to north to southern New
Jersey.  Rough
Green Snake- Rough Green Snakes are fairly long reaching
lengths up to 32 inches. It is a slender, bright green snake with yellow
or whitish belly that spends much of their time climbing in vegetation.
Their bright green color easily distinguishes them from all other snakes
in Florida. Rough Green Snakes are found throughout the Mid-Atlantic and
Southeast from the Pine Barrens of New Jersey west to central Texas and
south throughout Florida. Rough green snakes can be found in a variety
of habitats but are most common in open forests and edge habitats. They
can be particularly abundant along the margins of wetlands and rivers,
where they search overhanging vegetation for insects. Rough Green Snakes
are probably the most arboreal snakes in our region and spend the
majority of their time hunting for insects, spiders, and other
invertebrates in vegetation well above the ground. When encountered,
green snakes often freeze, relying on their green coloration for
camouflage. |
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