North American Racer

(also known as black racer)

Coluber constrictor

Please report your sighting of this Endangered species as soon as possible.

Report Observation

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Distinguishing Characteristics

• Maine’s longest snake, adults approximately 36 to 76 inches in length
• Slender, glossy black above with smooth scales
• Underside is light bluish-gray, with a white chin and throat
• Juveniles have dark blotches on a lighter gray background, may be confused with eastern milksnake or common watersnake

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Status and Distribution in Maine

• State Endangered; Species of Greatest Conservation Need
• Rare
• Southern region only

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Habitat

• Shrub-grassland and dry, open woodlands
• Often uses large shrubby utility corridors

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Diet

• Varied diet includes small mammals; frogs; nestling birds; and insects, especially grasshoppers

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Seasonal Changes

• Overwinters underground in chipmunk burrows, often with other snake species

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Natural History Notes

• Alert, fast-moving
• Large home ranges, over 200 acres in Maine
• Despite Latin name constrictor, does not constrict and suffocate its prey
• May react aggressively if cornered, although like all Maine snakes is harmless

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Share Your Sighting

Please report this Endangered species as soon as possible!

There is much still to learn about the distribution and ecology of Maine's herpetofauna, and we encourage members of the public to share their photo-documented observations as part of the Maine Amphibian & Reptile Atlas Project (MARAP).

Submit your reptile or amphibian observation online

No service? No problem. Click here to download the survey to your device while connected, then take offline to collect observations from anywhere. Tip: The survey works best on Google Chrome and Safari.

Thank you for doing your part to help conserve Maine's reptiles and amphibians. For more information, please contact derek.yorks@maine.gov .

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