Pattern is lost by about age 3 and at a SVL of about 300 mm. Melanin becoming so abundant that all but the light chin and brown snout are obscured. The juvenile pattern becomes occluded with age, the TheĬhin is plain white and the head is mostly brown, interspersed with varying amounts of gray. Small black or brown dots often occur laterally on the dorsum. The venter is cream in color and may be plain or bear an irregular Pattern of dark-gray to reddish-brown blotches (ave. Juveniles: Upon hatching, juveniles have a dorsal Males possessed a similar number of ventral scales (ave. Sexual Dimorphism: Northern Black Racers show little sexualĭimorphism.
Racers in shedding cycle appear dark gray to light brown. Of venter of neck white some white pigment on supralabial scales in some individuals Uniformly black dorsally, dark gray ventrally venter of tail uniformly light gray headīlack except for anterior portion of snout, which is brownish chin and a variable portion N = 131) or other combinations of 1-3 (25.2%).Ĭoloration and Pattern: Body of adults slender and (24.2%) loreal present preoculars 2/2 postoculars 2/2 temporals usually 2+2/2+2 (74.8%, Smooth, scale rows usually 17 (90.7%, n = 184) at midbody, but may be 15-16 (8.3%) anal Tail length/total length in Virginia specimens averaged 23.3 ± 2.1% (15.3-29.1, Maximum known snout-vent length (SVL) is 1,395 mm (54.9 in.) and total length is 1,795 mm Maximum total length of 1,854 mm (73.0 inches) (Conant and Collins, 1991).
All other Virginia authors have used the current nomenclature.ĭescription: A long, shiny, black snake reaching a Synonyms have been used in the early Virginia literature: Bascanion constrictor (Drowne, 1900 Hay,ġ902 Dunn, 1915d) following Baird and Girard (1853) and Zamenis constrictor (Cope, 1900)įollowing Boulenger (1893-1896). Only the nominate subspecies occurs in Virginia. Two subspecies are currently recognized: the Northern Black Racer ( ColuberĬonstrictor constrictor) (Linnaeus) and the Southern Black Racer (ColuberĬonstrictor priapus). Dunn and Wood (1939) suggested that Philadelphia was the type The type locality as "America septentrionale." The type locality was later restricted to Linnaeus designated no holotype, but listed Systematics: Originally described as ColuberĬonstrictor by Carolus Linnaeus in 1758.
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