Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello All,

OK. Everyone knows it. Michigan doesn’t have many snakes and few are impressive. But I think we have one that can hold its own against any other snake in the country. Yep, that’s right…I’m talking about the Blue Racer (Coluber constrictor foxi). It is big (up to six feet – honest!) and it is bad (protect your face when you grab one). But not only that, it is beautiful (the best looking racer by far).

So earlier this Spring I went to my racer hot spot. Sure enough we found 4 adults.

Here is a photo of one that was hoping it was not seen…

Once the gig was up, she started to get defensive…

But this one was not too onery and decided to make a break for it. After a high-speed chase and many lunges, I was finally able to properly grab it by the tail (grabbing anywhere else is risky!)…

In case you are wondering, I am 5 foot, 8 inches tall.

Just this week, I went back to that spot with my good herpin’ buddy Terry Cox. Here he is in prime racer habitat…

We did not find any. But that’s because Terry was lookin the wrong way!

Finally, just to show you why I think they are the best lookin’ Coluber out there, here is this photo…Enjoy!

Hey if your herpin with terry then you must be in the upper lower if you know what I mean. I live in michigan around lake St Clair and herp every chance I get but I never find any racers and I love them. is there any habitat down here for them and where could I look? I go herpin around the woods and lake shore around lake St Clair and find lots of garters nothern water snakes and my wife found a 4ft eastern milk about 4 yrs ago ( even harder to find around my area. Any tips?
racers are a blast, I try to catch and photograph them whenever I get to florida to visit my inlaws but I'd love to find some up here.
write back
Thanks Chris
CDWhisman@comcast.net
PS heres a pic from easter break in good ole FLA

Chris, Eddie's racers are from near where he lives, in the Ann Arbor area. I never found them around L. St. Clair either. The nearest I found them were in n. Oakland Co, Lapeer and Macomb Co. They like old fields and wild areas with lots of space. Sometimes they are near water, like streams, ponds, or small lakes. Good luck. Terry.

with the long sleeves and jackets. If I put a jacket on here, I think I would spontaneously combust! We have upper 90s with HI of 110°!

Nice shots. Foxi are beautiful animals. I need to get up north sometime and find one (as well as an eastern milk and a vulpina).
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Chris Harrison

Chris, you must be in the desert to get 110*. We don't usually get temps over 80*, so a ninety degree day is very hot. Eddie's pic was taken back in April when snakes were coming out of hibernation. My pic was taken yesterday, and it was hot, but that's a shirt I wear in AZ too. It actually wicks off the persperation while protecting you from the sun. TC.

When I lived in the desert (El Paso), the temps would get in the 100-110 range, but the heat index would be in the upper 90s due to the low humidity. And when you get in the shade, you can feel the difference. Here in east TX, the numbers are reversed and there is no escaping the heat, sun or shade, day or night!
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Chris Harrison

I hear ya', Chris. I used to live in East TX, myself. I liked it there a lot. Did most of my herpin' at night, though. I think you get used to the heat, once your blood has thinned out so much you don't dare get a cut, for fear of bleeding to death, lol. TC.

Those are some very cool looking racers. In Iowa, most of our Blue Racers have a lot of Yellow Belly in them. Once in a while we find a true Blue Racer. Here are a couple of pics of one we found in Johnson county Iowa.

Those are great looking racers, too. But they must be a lot friendlier than our Michigan snakes for you son (I assume) to be holding one so close to the face!

Also, is Johnson county in eastern Iowa. I assume that the blue (foxi) race would predominate in that part of the state.

Eddie

Johnson County is in eastern Iowa, but most of the racers we find have a more intergrade sort of appearance to them. I think that most of the ones that seem to be more "blue racery" with the whiter bellies come from the sand prairie areas, and ones we find in other areas seem a little more like intergrades. I haven't found a lot of them in the last few years, I think I will pay a little more attention to this in the future.

That was my son in the picture. It was fairly early in the morning when we found that one, and it was laying in front of a mammal burrow. I think it was just starting to warm up, and it was still pretty cool. It was very mellow. Most racers in Iowa are pretty spastic also.

I live up in Gaylord and have only seen one foxi (down in Jackson County). They're really neat snakes, I'd like to find one again. Happy herping.

Andrew