Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Found this small snake in a hilly, wooded area near St. Louis, MO. Rockwoods Reservation for those of you familiar with the area.

Snake was slender, appeared to have smooth, unkeeled scales, although I should have looked closer. Images are not detailed enough to determine. Also should have taken a better shot of the back of the head and a shot of the anal plate.

Top:
gallery.pethobbyist.com/data/7035sn1.JPG

Belly:
gallery.pethobbyist.com/data/7035sn2.JPG

Head:
gallery.pethobbyist.com/data/7035sn3.JPG

Thanks. I'm more of a tortoise guy, so any help you can give will be appreciated.

I believe you have a juvenile blue racer, Coluber constrictor foxi.

~~Greg~~
Florida's Venomous Snakes

I think you may be right. I found some photos of juvenile foxi, and it looks almost identical.

thanks.

>>Found this small snake in a hilly, wooded area near St. Louis, MO. Rockwoods Reservation for those of you familiar with the area.
>>
>>Snake was slender, appeared to have smooth, unkeeled scales, although I should have looked closer. Images are not detailed enough to determine. Also should have taken a better shot of the back of the head and a shot of the anal plate.
>>
>>Top:
>>gallery.pethobbyist.com/data/7035sn1.JPG
>>
>>Belly:
>>gallery.pethobbyist.com/data/7035sn2.JPG
>>
>>Head:
>>gallery.pethobbyist.com/data/7035sn3.JPG
>>
>>Thanks. I'm more of a tortoise guy, so any help you can give will be appreciated.
-----
Chris Harrison

There are 2 racer sub-species that range that part of MO. The Southern black racer - Coluber Constrictor Priapus, and the Eastern yellow bellied racer - Coluber Constrictor Flaviventris.
That portion of MO they readily integrade. The very pale background with the brown blotches leads me to believe it is a southern black racer. The eastern yellow bellied and the blue racer neonates have a more tan ground colored background with darker blotches.

Nice find.
Brian
-----

1.0 Corn snake (KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake (KY locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Yellow rat snake (Dwight Good stock)
1.1 California king snake (Coastal phase)
1.0 Prairie king snake (KY locale)
0.1 Black king snake (KY locale)

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian