Coluber constrictor etheridgei

Coluber constrictor etheridgei, commonly known as the tan racer, is a nonvenomous colubrid snake, a subspecies of the eastern racer (Coluber constrictor). It is endemic to the southern United States.

Geographic range

It is found in Louisiana and Texas.

Etymology

The subspecific name or 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 have a pattern of dark brown dorsal blotches, which fade to solid tan at about a year of age. The 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.

Habitat

The tan racer prefers habitats of pine flatwoods.

Reproduction

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

• Species Coluber constrictor at The Reptile Database

• Herps of Texas: Coluber constrictor

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Coluber constrictor.