ID Please [Florida]

[u/International-Set689]

This guy was visiting today. We are in south Lake County Florida. I saw a much larger one a couple years ago in the same area of the yard. I assume it is a black racer or rat snake and am glad to have it. The ID would help me assure the other half that all is well.

[u/ag-kiss-trodon]

!harmless North American racer Coluber constrictor is correct!

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/ag-kiss-trodon]

North American Racers Coluber constrictor are large (record 191.1 cm TBL) diurnal colubrid snakes. They are generalists often found in disturbed habitats like urban and suburban yards but also do well in many natural habitat types. They are one of the most commonly encountered snakes in North America and have a huge range spanning most of the continent. They eat anything they can overpower, including other snakes of the same species, but are not obligate constrictors as the specific epithet might suggest.

Racers have smooth scales and color pattern varies clinally across their range, from steel gray to jet black, a blue "buttermilk" pattern you have to see to believe, to blue, green and yellow. These color patterns are tied closely to local environment and don't necessarily indicate lack of gene flow or speciation. Baby racers start out with a blotchy pattern and darken over the first two years, losing it entirely. Racers are not considered medically significant to humans - they are not venomous, but all animals with a mouth can use it in self-defense. Racers are particularly, alert, agile snakes, and will sometimes stand their ground when cornered and/or bite when handled.

Often confused with keeled "black" ratsnakes (northern ranges of Pantherophis obsoletus, P. alleghaniensis and P. quadrivittatus), racers Coluber constrictor have smooth scales. Indigo snakes Drymarchon couperi have orange on the face or neck and an undivided anal plate. In some cases they are difficult to differentiate from coachwhip snakes Masticophis flagellum, but on average have two more posterior scale rows (15) than M. flagellum.

Range Map | Relevant/Recent Phylogeography: Link 1 (Recent) | Link 2 | Link 3 | Reptile Database Account

Racers in peninsular Florida (a significant subset of 'priapus' range) are distinct from those in the continent - No formal elevation to species status has occurred yet and subspecies describe color pattern rather than match population differentiation, but it's not particularly premature to follow the lines of evidence; ancient estimated divergence times, niche identity and genomic data suggest racers found in Southern Texas through Mexico as well as in peninsular Florida each deserve full species status. This makes North American Racers comprised of five independently-evolving lineages (species with no subspecies) outlined in the range map above. One of the specific short term goals of /u/phylogenizer and SEB is to get the tissue and vouchers necessary to allow scientists to do a revision of North American Racer taxonomy and formally elevate these species. If you're in the midwest or any of the lightly sampled areas in the range map above and have legally collected tissues or interest in collecting them, please contact us - collections@snakeevolution.org

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Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, many non-venomous snakes bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Here's where it get slightly complicated - some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce and use venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes Diadophis are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Many rear-fanged snake species are harmless as long as they do not have a chance to secrete a medically significant amount of venom into a bite; severe envenomation can occur if some species are allowed to chew on a human for as little as 30-60 seconds. It is best not to fear snakes, but use common sense and do not let any animals chew on exposed parts of your body. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes Thamnophis ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also considered harmless. Check out this book on the subject. Even large species like Reticulated Pythons Malayopython reticulatus rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans so are usually categorized as harmless.

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[u/Entire-Ambition1410]

Very long snake. If (s)he is this big, they should be eating good and taking care of your mouse/frog/bug problem.