Black racer snakes lay five to 30 eggs at a time, and the survival rate for baby black racer snakes is only about 40 percent. These snakes tend to avoid forest areas and dense vegetation, preferring the open, rocky country of the desert. The species is endemic to North America and Central America. The eastern racer (Coluber constrictor) is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae.
The species is monotypic in the genus Coluber. Geographic range. A red racer snake is non-venomous and may also be referred to as a coachwhip snake. Conservation. Since the mother snake does not tend to her young once she lays her eggs, the newly hatched babies must fend for themselves. Unlike black racers, rat snakes show a white throat, neck, and belly. Black racer snakes, in the wild especially, can live more than ten years. Yellow rat snakes are greenish, yellow, or orange, with four dark stripes along the length of the body. Eleven subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies, are recognized, which as a group are commonly referred to as the eastern racers. The southern black racer (Coluber constrictor priapus) is one of the more common subspecies of the non-venomous Coluber constrictor snake species of the Southeastern United States.The subspecific name priapus refers to the proximal spines of the hemipenes being much enlarged into basal hooks, which is characteristic of this subspecies. Young black racers eat insects and small prey. Description: The appearance of rat snakes varies throughout the geographic range. After capturing its prey, the snake uses its jaw to crush it or pins it under its coils. It must be noted that this snake is not a constrictor, which means that it does not squeeze its prey to death. They move quickly and can be found crawling through grasslands and sagebrush on flat or hilly terrain. Baby red racer snakes or hatchlings feed on insects, spiders, or scorpions. Then, sometime in June or early July, the female black racer snake will lay her eggs (3-32 in number) in a secluded and secure nesting site. Their mating season begins during the spring time, around late April to early June. Young, baby snakes are approximately 15 cm or 6 inches in length and are capable of fending for themselves, so the snakes don’t protect their young. Only around 40% of the newly born black racers will survive through their first year of life, and the average amount of snakes that survive out of a batch is about eight. Baby black racer snakes rely on their spotted patterns to camouflage them when they first hatch. They are mostly seen on the ground, but can climb on trees or shrubs to catch their prey or escape predators. Photo: Andy-Reago-&-Chrissy-McClarren/Flickr/CC by 2.0. ADVERTISEMENT.