Blue Racer

A blue racer snake can move at a speed of 4.3 mph.

It’s hard to overlook the beautiful, electric blue scales of a blue racer snake. On top of that, this snake has great speed moving at over four miles an hour! It lives in North America, specifically in the northeastern portion of the United States. Blue racers are not poisonous and grow to a length of 60 inches (sometimes longer). Their habitat includes open meadows, prairies, and pond shorelines.

4 Blue Racer Snake Amazing Facts

• This snake hunts on the ground and in trees
• Females can lay up to 28 eggs
• It goes into brumation in dens with dozens of other snakes
• While some have beautiful electric scales others have grayish or brown scales

Evolution and Origins

The blue racer (Coluber constrictor foxii) is a species of non-venomous snake native to North America, particularly the Great Lakes region and parts of the Midwest. It is a member of the Colubridae family, which is the largest family of snakes.

The origins of the blue racer can be traced back to the evolution of its ancestor, the Coluber constrictor, which dates back to the Miocene epoch, around 20 million years ago. Over time, different subspecies of Coluber constrictor emerged, including the blue racer subspecies, Coluber constrictor foxii.

The blue racer is believed to have evolved its distinctive blue coloration as a form of camouflage, allowing it to blend in with the blue sky when viewed from above. This coloration also helps to protect the snake from predators by making it appear larger and more intimidating.

Where to Find Blue Racer Snakes

The blue racer snake lives in North America. In the United States, its range extends over several northeastern states including Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. This snake is also known as an eastern racer.

In addition, the blue racer is found on the eastern portion of Pelee Island in Ontario, Canada. However, they are considered endangered there.

These snakes are most commonly seen in open areas such as grassy meadows and on prairies. Their preferred habitat gives them places to hide from predators and hunt for prey.

They are not as visible during the cold weather months when they go into brumation in a den or burrow with other snakes. Blue racers emerge in March or April for their breeding season.

Countries where these snakes are found:

1. United States
2. Canada

Different Types

The blue racer snake is one of many subspecies of eastern racer snakes in the Colubridae family.

• Buttermilk racer (Coluber constrictor anthicus)-The buttermilk racer grows to about the same length as a blue racer and is not poisonous. But it lives in a different area namely the southern part of the United States (Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas).
• Mexican racer (Coluber constrictor oaxaca)-The Mexican racer is like the blue racer in that it doesn’t have venom. However, its range runs from Texas down into Mexico and it’s shorter in length than the blue racer at just 40 inches.
• Yellow-bellied racer (Coluber constrictor flaviventris)-The yellow-bellied racer grows to around the same length as a blue racer and shares the same type of diet. However, the yellow-bellied racer’s territory lies further west in the United States extending to Montana.

Scientific Name and Classification

Coluber constrictor foxii is the long scientific name for a long snake! The Latin word Coluber means snake and the word constrictor means drawn together. This refers to the snake’s method of killing its prey by constriction. The Latin word foxii is a tribute to 19th-century wildlife collector and naturalist, Reverend Charles Fox.

The blue racer is also called an eastern racer because of its territory.

Its family is Colubridae and class Reptilia.

Population and Conservation Status

The blue racer snake is considered endangered in Canada due to the loss of its habitat and food source. Plus, it’s classified in Wisconsin as a species of special concern.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species doesn’t have specific population information on the blue racer snake. But it reports the eastern racer snake population as a whole is stable and estimated at over 1,000,000. It’s thought of as Least Concern.

Appearance and Description

The blue racer has smooth scales on its back that are solid electric blue or grayish in color. Its belly is white, or cream and it sometimes has a yellow throat.

The slender head of this snake matches the width of the rest of its body. It can be 35 to 60 inches in length as a full-grown snake.

Take a close look at the face of a blue racer and you’ll see black scales around its circular eyes. It almost looks like it’s wearing a mask.

Juvenile blue racers have a different appearance from adults. These young snakes are brown or gray with darker brown or gray splotches running down their back. The splotches have a black border. Newly hatched blue racers can be up to 14 inches in length! A two- or three-year-old juvenile blue racer has lost this scale pattern and taken on the adult’s beautiful electric blue or gray coloration.

How to identify a blue racer snake:

• Solid electric blue or grayish scales on its back
• A white or cream belly
• Possibly a yellow throat
• Smooth scales and slender body
• Black scales around its round, black eyes

How Dangerous Are They?

Blue racers don’t have venom. The fact that they are not poisonous makes them less dangerous than a lot of other snakes in North America like the timber rattlesnake or the eastern coral snake. But, not so fast! The bite of a blue racer snake is said to be very painful.

A bite wound from a blue racer snake usually causes quite a bit of bleeding. So, when providing first-aid for a bite, firmly hold a soft cloth on the wound to stop the bleeding. Next, wash the wound with soap and water. Cover the wound with a clean bandage and monitor it as it heals. Sometimes an infection can develop due to bacteria from the snake’s bite or dirt that gets into the wound.

If redness or swelling occurs, go to a medical professional to have the bite wound examined. You may need antibiotics for an infection.

Snake Behavior and Humans

The speed and timid nature of these snakes makes them a rare sight. If it sees a human approaching, this snake can easily slither away to hide beneath a pile of brush or in a burrow.

People living in the territory of this snake can take steps to increase their chances of seeing one. Someone who has property near a grassy meadow or field may want to leave a few areas of tall grass on their property. These areas are attractive to blue racer snakes. Just think of all the places to hide! Plus, encouraging blue racers can contribute to decreasing the rodent population near your property.

Similar Animals

• Eastern rat snake
• Eastern indigo snake
• Mexican Kingsnake

1. Herpetology, Available here: https://herpetology.inhs.illinois.edu/species-lists/ilspecies/north-american-racer/
2. Reptile Database, Available here: https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Coluber&species=constrictor
3. Wikipedia, Available here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelee,_Ontario
4. Herprman, Available here: http://www.herprman.com/species/snakes/blue-racer
5. Ontario, Available here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/blue-racer
6. IUCN Red List, Available here: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/63748/3128579
7. Eekwi, Available here: https://www.eekwi.org/animals/reptiles/north-american-blue-racer
8. Learn Natural Farming, Available here: https://learnnaturalfarming.com/is-the-blue-racer-snake-poisonous/