Who knows their snakes...........?

Picked this guy up while mowing this afternoon.

It's a little darker than I usually find.

Let's hear your guesses.

I'll start with just one hint: They bite....they ALWAYS bite. Never picked up one of these that it didn't bite or try to.

You have a good example of a biter snake

Black Mamba!

I have no idea. LOL

Looks like a rat snake to me.

Black Racer?

What he said. I'm going Black Racer as well. LOL @ always biting. Them and damn Brown Water Snakes or any water snake for that matter. Biters all day long!

Nope

Nope, but close.

It's a racer, just not a black racer.

Only found in East Texas (for this State).

OK,it has to be a Speckled Kingsnake.

Yeah, he scored too. Had nothing to pin him down with and had to nab him before he made it to the thick grass. So ended up just grabbing what I could..knowing full well he would latch onto me.

This one is only about 2.5 feet long....little guy. They are usually closer to 4' (when mature). Fast buggers.

Nope. But the 'flecks' are the key to what it is.

Eastern racer perhaps. The speckles make it a juvenile one maybe.............? Speckled racers look a little brighter. Maybe thats it but junvenile

Nope.

Here is a more representative one.

This one should give it away.

Caught this one several years ago.....and probably close to 10 of them now over the years.

That one is definitely a speckled racer

This racer can have a background color that is Black, Blue, Gray, Greenish (most commonly a dark blueish- Gray in my area).

But that is not the distinguishing feature. Key in on the flecks (which vary widely in there number with this species).

It is definitely not. A speckled racer has a uniform pattern.

Haha yep,

They will definitely bite.

Don't prod one with your foot.

This little guy didn't do this...but the larger one posted did.

Ok, Buttermilk Racer.

We have a Winner!



Coluber constrictor anthicus

Here is an extreme example of one with a more 'flecks' than background color. Beautiful snake.

In my area....we don't see ones that brilliantly marked (buttermilk/white flecks).

Dang, someone beat me to buttermilk racer!

Either Coach whip or Buttermilk racer.

Well....yeah, now that its been correctly ID'd 3 times before your post!

You have them in your area too. Not right in the DCNF but around open field edges out there.

You have more diversity in snake species than I do here....even though we are only 50 miles apart.

My property is more Mesic Upland.

Really cool find. I'd love to find one and have a photo session.

Good luck getting it to be still. Video yes, still photos...probably not unless brief and in defensive posture. They are not very accommodating.

You could get a picture while they were still 'attached' to you if you are willing to do that. But otherwise....they are usually doing one of two things.

1. Trying to bite you.
2. Trying to escape.

Cool snake.

Just for the record....the speckled racer is a threatened species in Texas and can not be possessed, handled, killed, etc....

So important to know the difference when you are handling snakes.

The speckled is easily distinguished from the Buttermilk Racer however. It has a very uniform pattern.

Believe me, I know. It helps if you can have a second set of hands. Like with this black racer. It just got done biting my son, and was then trying to escape. What you can't see is that my son still has ahold of it, otherwise it would be gone in a flash.

That is a great photograph. So representative of the snake. Racers commonly raise their heads up to look around before moving. So alert and intelligent looking.

Those big, forward facing eyes are captivating. They are 'sight' hunters and well adapted for it. Thanks for sharing.

Guys,I have never seen one of those so I had to give flintnappers photos a closer look.So I cheated and had to call on Google for help.So beat me if you want but I think we all learn a little more with these sessions,at least I know I do.

We have three species of Racers in my general area.

1. Black racer (typically the longest of the three I've found).
2. Blue racer (less common but in good numbers).
3. Buttermilk racer (much less common, prefer a very specific habitat).

All are fast, some can grow to nearly 6', all of them bite, so just expect that.

Not to labor the point....but for those who don't know: Two Texas reptiles pretty much guaranteed to bite are Racers and Broad Headed Skinks.

Don't forget water snakes. Those are some grumpy SOB's

You can say that again. Diamondback Water snakes and Banded Water Snakes for sure. And they have some teeth to work with. Racers....not so much.

That's not 'cheating'. That is using your resources. Nothing wrong with that.

I would really like to see one up close and handle it. I had a couple of large speckled kings I had caught in Inez when I used to have snakes but they have a much different yellow and black coloration than these beautiful racers.

What is intriguing to me is the vast variation in the flecks/speckles that is possible. Background colors tend to be dark blueish-gray but can be black, blue, deep green. Pretty neat snakes.

If you just google Buttermilk Racer you'll see pics that are incredible. Can't link it here....but worth looking at.

Make a neat hatband.

Diamondback Water Snakes are a holes. There's no other way to put it.

Yeah, but they can back it up. They can get really big with age and good habitat. WAY....bigger than moccasins that they are so often mistaken for.

Awesome post, thanks for sharing

Had a green racer for a pet back in high school that I captured on/near Toledo Bend. That sucker was an escape artist!

They are stronger than they look and will push the lid off of a terrarium if not latched down.

Basically, if they can get their head through something....the rest of their body can follow....so they don't need much of an opening to get away.

I can testify. One time it took me a couple of hours to find him. Catching him was a whole 'nother story.

thanks for sharing, never heard of one

Most have not.

Fairly rare snake (with respect to distribution).