They feed nearly exclusively on soft-bodied invertebrates such as slugs and earthworms. Habitatīrown snakes hide under covers such as leaf litter and logs, but are sometimes active in the evening or at night, occasionally being seen crossing roads. This snake looks similar to earth snakes ( Virginia sp.), but those species lack spots on the back and head. The young have a yellowish collar going down the neck with a less evident dorsal pattern. A series of tiny black dots are often present along each side of the belly. They usually have two rows of dark spots, sometimes linked, along the back and a dark streak down the side of the head. (17-33 cm) -– snakes that are usually brown, but can be yellowish, reddish, or grayish-brown. They will vibrate the tail and expel malodorous musk.īrown snakes are small -– 6-13 in. When frightened they often assume a “kinked” posture and remain motionless. Rat snakes are constrictors, and adept climbers that can scale brick walls as well as tree trunks. Juveniles eat small frogs, lizards, and small rodents. They are a common predator on wood duck eggs. HabitatĪdult rat snakes primarily eat mice, rats, squirrels, and birds, as well as bird eggs. ![]() Rat snakes have weakly keeled scales and the anal plate is divided. The body cross section is loaf-shaped and not round. The belly is whitish in color near the head and becomes checkered or mottled toward the tail. ![]() ![]() The juveniles of all subspecies resemble the gray rat. Gray rat snakes are dark to light gray with darker gray or brown blotches. Yellow rat snakes are greenish, yellow, or orange with four dark stripes running the length of the body. Black rat snakes are more northern in distribution and are characteristically black on top with a faint hint of white between some of the scales. The appearance of rat snakes varies greatly throughout the geographic range. Eggs hatch in late summer or early fall.Īdult rat snakes are typically 3-5 ft (91-152 cm), but large individuals may be more than 6 ft (183 cm) long. Racers mate in the spring, and females lay up to 36 eggs in early summer. Although primarily terrestrial, they climb well and are occasionally observed sleeping in vegetation at night. If cornered, however, they do not hesitate to bite. Racers are faster than most other snakes, very agile, and flee when approached, often climbing into small trees or shrubs. When captured, prey is not constricted and are consumed alive. In turn, they are preyed upon by a variety of predatory birds, mammals, and snakes such as kingsnakes and larger racers. They eat a wide variety of prey including insects, lizards, snakes, birds, rodents, and amphibians. Racers hunt by sight and are often observed actively foraging during the day. At night and during cool weather they take refuge in burrows or under covers such as boards or tin. ![]() Habitatīlack racers are only active during the daytime and are most active in warm weather. While rat snakes, king snakes, and hognose snakes freeze when approached, racers usually flee rapidly or sometimes stand their ground and attempt to strike. When observed from a distance, behavior is often the best way to differentiate a racer from other species. Additionally, racers lack the upturned nose of hognose snakes and keeled scales of hognose and rat snakes. However, black racers are more slender and uniformly black than those species. Adult racers can be mistaken for any of the other large black snakes present in our region including black rat snakes (which are restricted to the Piedmont and Mountains in our region), black-phase eastern hognose snakes, eastern or black kingsnakes, or dark coachwhips. The belly is uniformly dark gray or black. They have smooth scales, large eyes, and often have some white coloration under their chin. Watersnakes are viviparous, giving birth to 15-20 young in late July or August.Īs their name implies, black racers are relatively large - to 60 in (152 cm) - fairly slender, solid black snakes. They may be seen basking on logs or branches overhanging the water or foraging in shallow water for fish and amphibians, their principal prey. Habitatīanded watersnakes are commonly seen in the vicinity of many aquatic habitats and are active both day and night. In addition to crossbands, there are squarish spots at the sides of the belly and a dark stripe from the eye to the angle of the jaw. Crossbands may be obscured as the snake darkens with age, and some individuals appear uniformly dark. Crossbands are larger on the middle of the back and narrower on the sides (unlike the bands of copperheads, Agkistrodon contortrix, which are hourglass-shaped). Coloration is variable, with snakes ranging from light brown or reddish to black in ground-color with darker crossbands. Banded watersnakes are mid-sized - 24-48 in (61-106.7 cm) -– fairly heavy-bodied semi-aquatic snakes.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |