Racer

Coluber constrictor

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The racer is one of the fastest snakes in the Americas, able to move at more than six kilometres an hour over open ground. It hunts by sight, with its head raised above the grass, and actively chases lizards, rodents and insects. Despite its scientific name it is not a constrictor: it pins its prey against the ground and swallows it alive.

Weight

1.6 kg on average

Size

90 cm – 1.9 m

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestGrasslandCarnivore Diurnal Solitary Reptile Temperate forest Grassland

5countries17same family

Fun facts

Its scientific name means constrictor, but it is not one: it does not coil around its prey, but pins it to the ground with a loop of its body and swallows it alive, a cruder method than that of the true constrictors.
It hunts with its head raised above the vegetation, scanning the ground with excellent eyesight, and is one of the few American snakes that actively chase down their prey.
Its juveniles have a blotched pattern completely unlike the uniform black of the adults, and are frequently identified as a different species.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Grassland, scrub, woodland edges and open country of North and Central America
Sexual maturity: 13.5 months
Gestation / incubation: 55 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 14 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coluber_constrictor