Kingdom Animalia Suborder Serpentes Subfamily Colubrinae Phylum Chordata Rank Subspecies | Subphylum Vertebrata Family Colubridae Genus Coluber Higher classification Coluber constrictor Order Scaled reptiles | |
Scientific name Coluber constrictor etheridgei Similar Coluber constrictor, Coluber, Snake, Coluber constrictor anthicus, Coluber constrictor oaxaca | ||
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.
Contents
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.