The Southern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor priapus) is the most common snake found in Florida. It adapts easily to any habitat and is commonly found in low shrubs in urban areas. Black Racers are not venomous, although they will bite when cornered. These snakes would prefer to race away through the grass, into a shrub, up a tree, or into a hole. They are great swimmers too.
A Black Racer’s diet consists of whatever is available: Insects, frogs, toads, salamanders, lizards, snakes, birds and bird eggs, moles, mice, and rats. Black Racers are not constrictors as their scientific name suggests. The Racer captures its prey and holds it tightly against the ground until the prey succumbs.
Identification:
Young Black Racers have obvious blotches that gradually fade to solid gray-black by adulthood. The body of juveniles (< 2 ft.) is gray with irregular reddish-brown blotches that fade with age. The body of adults is solid black; the chin and throat are white. South of Lake Okeechobee, the body of adults may be bluish, greenish, or gray. In the Apalachicola River Basin, the chin and throat of adults may be tan. -UF Wildlife – Johnson Lab
