Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Found this guy in eastern Virginia today. One of my better shots.

Thats a great picture!!...are they common in Virginia???

Paul (uk)

Probably one of the more common snakes in Virginia. This one was found near a cultivated field.

Interesting!!..I expect they are very aggressive/defensive when you catch one for photo's etc.??

regards Paul

hmm, yup, theyre all over the place, any chance you could tell me the location of that field? obviously i cant tell for sure but it looks alot like a field across the street from my house in chesapeake where i would catch racers all spring and summer.

heres a shot i took last may. i also have a video of what i believe to be the same snake caught later last summer actually chasing me as i stood between it and the heavy brush he was looking to escape to. sadly the only other snakes i found under the tin out there were garters and an eastern worm snake...

You guys are so lucky having plenty of snakes around!!..(racers and whips especially!)
In the U.K. Wild snakes are about as common as rocking-horse s#*t !!

Do you ever put herp expedition/habitat photos up on websites?
May sound strange to Americans but sometimes its hard to imagine the kind of habitats that racers and coachwhips are
to be found,when you live in Europe and are yet to visit the U.S.

Regards Paul

racers are one of the most common snakes and generally tolerate human encroachment well . youll find them in a very wide range of habitats. open brushy areas seem to be the best.

this is an overgrown field that was bordered by woods. i could go out any time and almost guarantee at least one racer (just not much else upsettingly). There are tin sheets at the treeline that are warmed by the sun and the racers like to hide under them. what you dont see is the grocery store and shopping center next to the field and the neighborhood across the street ):

Wow!!..thanks for that!..its great to see habitat first-hand from local herpers like yourself.It gives a far more personal account than getting it from books ,which are often very vague in their descriptions.
What is the main prey animal in this locality?...I would guess at field voles/mice if it was here in England.

Its interesting to hear that the snakes are adapting to the human habitation around them...its not ideal but I guess inevitable.
Paul

Here are some habitat pics from Virginia

Field habitat

nearby swamp habitat

Coluber, regarding diet...

There's lots for this snake to eat where I caught it. Mice, shrews, voles, skinks, fence lizards, birds... All these food items are present and all are known prey.

Here's some more shots, including one that shows the exact scrub habitat where this snake was located.

BTW, if you ever come to the states, we'll go herpin'.

BRILLIANT!!! You guys are really spoiling me now!!...LOL!!
I WILL get over to the U.S. shortly and these are the places I would love to visit.
I'm logging all this info. to build up a detailed file about racers and coachwhips...as I said before you just can't buy this kind of detail from a shop!!

What would be the best month to visit for a herping trip of this Nature??

Thanks very much SKYCHIMP for a detailed answer to my question!!

Paul

Keep in mind, Coachwhips are not native to Virginia. Virginia is north of the Coachwhip's range in the US. The Black Racer is a much more northern snake.

Yeah..I understand that the habitat shots are for 'Coluber constrictor' not Masticophis.
You mentioned that there are not many other snake species
in these areas..supposing you did find another species what would it be likely to be?..(maybe Eastern Hognose?)...I just wondered which other species black-racers can co-exist with.

Sorry about all the questions..its a fascinating subject for me.

I was in Virginia last week. Would have visited had I known you lived there. Went to Monticello with my daughter and visited an Indigo breeder friend of mine. I also stoped by the Serpenterium in Cape Fear North Carolina. I live in Kansas here is our Black Snake with white chin. I never touched this snake I got this shot off as I walked up on him/her/it.

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"Life without risk is to merely exist."

Wow!!..another variation in Kansas!...you guys should get together and write a book/science-paper on this successful species.

'envious limey' Paul

"Yeah..I understand that the habitat shots are for 'Coluber constrictor' not Masticophis.
You mentioned that there are not many other snake species
in these areas..supposing you did find another species what would it be likely to be?..(maybe Eastern Hognose?)...I just wondered which other species black-racers can co-exist with.

Sorry about all the questions..its a fascinating subject for me."
---

My state, Virginia, has 30 species of snake. More if you count subspecies. In the area where I found that Racer, I've also found ringnecks, rough green snakes, a few copperheads, black rat snakes, northern water snakes. Nearby, I've found eastern kingsnakes, ribbon snakes, rough and smooth earth snakes, and cottonmouths. I'm sure i could come up with more if I put my mind to it. Many different species of snake can co-exist in close proximity. I've even found different species under the same debris.

Thats amazing!!...I've heard that several species hide and hibernate together,particularly copperheads seem to like to share hides with other species.I find this fascinating...I would have expected them to fight or try and eat eachother.
Black racers are more socialble than I expected!!

Paul