Coluber constrictor etheridgei

Coluber constrictor etheridgei
Tan Racer
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Subfamily: Colubrinae
Genus: Coluber
Species: C. constrictor
Subspecies: C. c. etheridgei
Trinomial name
Coluber constrictor etheridgei
Wilson, 1970

The Tan Racer (Coluber constrictor etheridgei) is a non-venomous colubrid snake, a subspecies of the Eastern Racer, (Coluber constrictor). It is found in the southern United States, in Louisiana and Texas. The epithet etheridgei is in honor of the American zoologist and paleontologist Richard Emmett Etheridge.

Description

The Tan Racer, as its name implies, is typically a solid tan brown in color. Juveniles can have a pattern of dark brown blotches on their back, which fade to solid tan at about a year of age. Their underside is typically gray or white, sometimes with yellow spotting. They typically grow from .75 - 1.5 m (30 to 60 inches) in length. They have large eyes, with round pupils, and excellent vision.

Behavior

Like all racers, the Tan Racer is diurnal and highly active. Their diet consists of a wide variety of prey, but primarily includes rodents, and lizards. They are fast moving, and generally seek to use their speed to escape if approached. The Tan Racer prefers habitats of pine flatwoods. Mating occurs in the spring, and a clutch of approximately 30 eggs is laid typically in the month of May, to hatch mid summer.

References


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