Northern black racer

The northern black racer (Coluber constrictor constrictor) is a subspecies of the eastern racer (Coluber constrictor), a nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. Their geographic range extends from southern Maine to northern Georgia and westward to central Kentucky and eastern Ohio. Their occupancy is dependent on the availability of large patches of open habitats.[4]

Northern black racer
Coluber constrictor constrictor,
northern black racer

Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Coluber
Species:
C. constrictor
Subspecies:
C. c. constrictor
Trinomial name
Coluber constrictor constrictor
Synonyms[2][3]

Geographic range

Coluber constrictor constrictor ranges from Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi in the south, to central New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine in the north, to Tennessee, Kentucky, and eastern Ohio in the west. At the southern end of its range, it overlaps with Coluber constrictor priapus, the southern black racer, and at the westward end it overlaps with Coluber constrictor flaviventris, the eastern yellow-bellied racer.[5]

Habitat

Northern black racer are a terrestrial species and are found in open, grassy areas or in open forest adjacent to grassy areas. They prefer dryer habitats. They will inhabit urban and agricultural areas, barrier islands, and grasslands in mountains. The Northern black racer will seek refuge under objects like logs, rocks, and other debris during the night or on cool days.[6]

Symbol

The northern black racer is the state reptile of Ohio.[7]

  • Adult northern black racer, C. c. constrictor
    Adult northern black racer, C. c. constrictor
  • Adult northern black racer, C. c. constrictor, in typical habitat
    Adult northern black racer, C. c. constrictor, in typical habitat
  • Adult black rat snake, Pantherophis obsoletus, often confused with the northern black racer
    Adult black rat snake, Pantherophis obsoletus, often confused with the northern black racer

References
  1. "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  2. Stejneger L, Barbour T (1917). A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. 125 pp. (Coluber constrictor, p. 79)
  3. "Coluber constrictor ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  4. Dallas, Jason; Meshaka, Walter, E.; Delis, Pablo, R. (2021). "The Natural History of the Northern Black Racer (Coluber Constrictor Constrictor) in South-Central Pennsylvania". Journal of North American Herpetology. 2021: 29–33. doi:10.17161/jnah.vi.15172. S2CID 236276147.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. Mays, Jonathan D.; Todd, Charlie S. (2007-07-19). NORTHERN BLACK RACER ASSESSMENT (PDF) (Report). Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Wildlife Division, Resource Assessment Section. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-06-06.
  6. Virginia Herpetological Society, https://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/reptiles/snakes/northern-black-racer/northern_black_racer.php.
  7. "5.031 State reptile". LAWriter: Ohio Laws and Rles. Lawriter LLC. 2008. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.