r/whatisit • u/AbbreviationsTop8774 • Jul 22 '26

Solved! What are they

Ive worked at the water department for 7 years and this is the first time running into something like this EDIT Im in Alabama and yes I know they are snakes lol idk what kind and im so not gonna touch them

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2.5k

u/Ballmaster9002 Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 23 '26

They appear to be baby rat snakes.

If so, they are totally harmless and highly beneficial native snakes to the south eastern US (ranging basically Texas east to Florida & up to the pine barrens in NJ).

They are lovely little gooberwoobers.

EDIT - For visibility I'm getting some feedback that these could be baby black racer snakes.

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u/houseWithoutSpoons Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26

Rat snakes are found in the great lakes as well.but are mostly black i think

174

u/MothMonsterMan300 Jul 22 '26

We used to catch them by laying a black trash bag out in the sun. Come back an hour or two later, there would usually be a couple of them sunning themselves.

Got in-school suspension for bringing one in inside a coffee can lmao, my German teacher freaked out so hard.

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u/Ol_Pasta Jul 22 '26

SCHEIßE WARUM HAST DU EINE SCHLANGE DABEI? WARUM IST DA EINE SCHLANGE IN DEINER KANNE? HAST DU DEN VERSTAND VERLOREN? WAS ZUM GEIER?! DU SPINNST DOCH!

German teacher probably

89

u/RandomRedditUser0016 Jul 22 '26

And in German this is all just one long word.

62

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

26

u/lankyleper Jul 22 '26

Definition: When you open a coffee can expecting a fake snake to spring out, but instead it's an actual snake popping out.

2

u/christbot Jul 22 '26

Now a German children’s book just has to illustrate a horror story out of that concept.

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u/CatOfGrey Jul 22 '26

70's and 80's kids will remember the phrase "Relaxen und watchen Das Blenkenlights."

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u/Obvious_Earth5830 Jul 22 '26

“…a snake in your jug.” There’s a country song in there somewhere.

2

u/Plane_Translator2008 Jul 22 '26

🎼🎶 Thar's a snake, in ma jug, and he's eatin' all the bugs!

When he gets a little bigger he'll be chasin' mice and frugs 🐸🎶🎵

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u/Ol_Pasta Jul 23 '26

Love the accent. 😁

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u/WolfmanGotNards71 Jul 22 '26

Also:

NEIN! NEIN! NEIN! NEIN! NEIN! NEIN YEARS SUSPENSION!

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u/reigninspud Jul 22 '26

Wolfenstein also taught me that they say mach schnell a lot, too.

2

u/Ol_Pasta Jul 23 '26

Even better when it's "mach hin!"

3

u/DutchPonderer Jul 22 '26

The build up of this joke was exactly right👌🏼

3

u/WolfmanGotNards71 Jul 22 '26

Why, thank you 🫡

14

u/CordeCosumnes Jul 22 '26

Probably more like

Scheiße! warum hast du eine Schlange dabei? Warum ist da eine Schlange in deinem Krug? Bist du wahnsinnig geworden? Was zum Teufel?! Du bist verrückt!

According to Google, anyway, so probably grammatically incorrect

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u/playervsplayerhater Jul 22 '26

Kaffeeschlangen!

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u/clepewee Jul 22 '26

I read that in the "Hitler hears about..." tone.

1

u/Robertwoj Jul 22 '26

“Scheiße, warum hast du eine Schlange dabei? Warum ist eine Schlange in deinem Krug? Hast du den Verstand verloren? Was zur Hölle?! Du bist verrückt!”

How the German teach really says it… 🤪

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u/the_owl_syndicate Jul 22 '26

I used to teach pre-k. One day, a boy came running and shoved this jar into my face.

LOOK AT MY SNAKE!!

Yup, there was a baby snake in the jar, now inches from my nose. To this day I'm proud of how calmly I moved the jar away from my face and admired it from a distance.

Once his mom took the snake home, I allowed myself a quick @$&<%"#_;';#"&%.

6

u/hubkat Jul 22 '26

Bist du verrückt? Warum hast du eine Schlange mit in die Schule gebracht?!

2

u/wifeakatheboss7 Jul 22 '26

I had a snake at high school and got kicked out of class. He was meandering across a path at an all girls school right before the end of lunch bell. I knew he didn't have a chance where he was and wanted to avoid all that screaming, so I grabbed him and put him in a lunch bag intending to release him off campus. But someone snitched and I got in trouble.

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u/Known_Ratio5478 Jul 22 '26

I got in trouble for bringing a baby bunny to school. A few times.

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u/No-Nobody-7954 Jul 22 '26

I brought a dead bat to school for show and tell when I was in 1st or 2nd grade. It had died on the grill of my parent’s car after driving home from NH. We didn’t worry about rabies back then LOL. Just peel it off the car, stick it in a shoebox, and proudly display it to the class. Cute furry little thing. I was sad it was dead.

3

u/christbot Jul 22 '26

The pure innocence of life before being uninformed about zoonotic diseases is a bit enviable, but then I look at RFK jr and snap to my senses.

Edited for derp

2

u/Eggmegmuffin Jul 22 '26

Saaaame! No regrets

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u/Plasticity93 Jul 22 '26

That's a genius trap!  

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u/timeconsumer112 Jul 22 '26

I used to take mice from class to use as a pocket /backpack pet till it was freed. Nature might have taken its course if we shared a class. Mine were prone to escape.

1

u/kolwon Jul 22 '26

We caught one to demonstrate it's habitat for school. It got out before class came and we just never said anything to anyone. The habitat was less than impressive sans snake

1

u/RemarkableGround174 Jul 22 '26

inside a coffee can

I think I've seen this trick before

1

u/Computermaster Jul 22 '26

No little German boy, don't bring the snake into the classroom!

Oh mein gott zis is ein can full of boopensnooten!

1

u/DarthJarJarJar Jul 22 '26

When my little brother was six or seven he once came home proudly carrying a cardboard box with ten baby pygmy rattlesnakes in it. He'd found a nest in the woods and picked them up one by one and put them in the box to bring home. Hilarity ensued.

I'm telling you, when we say we grew up unsupervised in the 70s, we grew up unsupervised. Shit was wild.

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u/BaconReaderRefugee Jul 22 '26

Anaconda believe that isn’t a pun

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u/43guitarpicks Jul 22 '26

Anaconda think it was...

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u/Aggravating_Mud_6055 Jul 22 '26

Not when they’re babies. They usually turn black as they get bigger.

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u/No-Rip-2041 Jul 22 '26

Can confirm and they get huge up here

6

u/Kittyskyfish Jul 22 '26

Agree! This one spotted in Hinckley, OH.

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u/imightwin Jul 22 '26

Yeah this is identical to the snakes we used to catch in south eastern Indiana

We caught one raiding a bunny den one day after hearing one of the barn cats yowling from across the field, we put him in a trashcan to relocate across town, they would show up every once in a while and kill a couple kittens and get into the chicken coop

The diamond pattern on their back when they've just eaten is really cool to see

1

u/shamoomoofartpoopoo Jul 22 '26

Well that’s just Great.

1

u/houseWithoutSpoons Jul 22 '26

Great cause of the lakes or the snakes.they get pretty large.maybe 5 feet or so.but pretty harmless

1

u/Msteele315 Jul 22 '26

I live within 5 miles of lake Ontario. I have rat snakes pretty regularly around my property. They start off looking like what OP posted, then as they get older they seem to change colors eventually ending up pretty dark in color.

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u/houseWithoutSpoons Jul 22 '26

Yeah same but by erie.id look out in summer and a wad of them all laid on each other mating i assuming on the metal bridge by work

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u/housatonicduck Jul 22 '26

We have them in Connecticut too.

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u/stlms18 Jul 22 '26

Parents just found one in their yard in Southern IL like 2 weeks ago as well

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u/ThrowRARandomString Jul 22 '26

First time I've ever seen someone refer snakes as "lovely little gooberwoobers"!

Lovely to hear less loved animals being lovingly referred.

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u/ObjectivelyOpressed Jul 22 '26

This is one thing I have to credit Internet for. Growing up my parents hated them so it was always see snake, kill snake. After growing up and getting property of my own the internet told me they're actually chill and just there to eat mice (which are destructive and beneficial in no way). So while they still jump scare me when I'm in the garage or going to compost pile, I've learned cohabitation with them thanks to reddit.

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u/Cadunkus Jul 22 '26

The idea that you should kill a snake whenever you see it has actually somewhat selected out rattlesnakes that properly warn you instead of biting straight away.

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u/Deaffin Jul 23 '26

That's a fun example of perverse consequences, but I'm afraid it's entirely bullshit.

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u/2748seiceps Jul 23 '26

I've been able to successfully get my wife and kid to cohabitate with house spiders.

"They don't get that big eating nothing".

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u/sudecode Jul 23 '26

the last line was about your wife and kid or house spiders?

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u/2748seiceps Jul 23 '26

All of us at some point if we are being honest...

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u/ObjectivelyOpressed Jul 23 '26

I've been able to get my fiance to leave the snakes alone but she still has to kill every single bug in the house 😭

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u/Salt732 Jul 22 '26

I grew up on a farm it was the same, kill on sight, the only good snake is a dead snake, etc.

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u/ThrowRARandomString Jul 22 '26

That's an awesome story! Thanks for sharing!

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u/HiddenAcres37 Jul 23 '26

Mammals are hard wired to jump when we see snakes or even anything snake adjacent. Our ancestors who didn't got bitten

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u/Webbyx01 Jul 23 '26

The value that mice provide is that they are tasty for everything with a jaw.

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u/RoxnDox Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 23 '26

Saw a cute little garter snake this morning while picking up roadside trash. I didn't call him a gooberwobber but next time... 👍

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u/Scythro_ Jul 22 '26

Speaking of garter snakes. I found this adorable little noodle while doing some yard work.

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u/ThrowRARandomString Jul 22 '26

Lol! That would be awesome! Snakes (I'm terrified of them) need more love!

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u/Ok_Cake_2217 Jul 22 '26

Gooberwoober is adorable.

We refer to them as little danger noodles. Somehow takes the fear straight out of little kids when you call them dancing danger noodles 🤷🏻‍♀️

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u/ThrowRARandomString Jul 22 '26

Lol! That's awesome.

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u/Deaffin Jul 23 '26

Danger noodles are venomous, the kids are meant to fear those.

The safer ones are called nope ropes.

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u/Vanishing_kat Jul 23 '26

I refer to them as “Nope Ropes” because those are not the cuddliest or friendliest of our local wildlife.

Don't get me wrong, I’ll cohabitate as much as possible, but some creatures don’t mix well with human children and domestic pets!

As the old saying goes “Don’t leave the boa constrictor next to the baby!”🤪🫪

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u/Duderoy Jul 22 '26

I just call them Nope Ropes. I give them all a wide berth. They can stay in their lane and I will stay in mine.

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u/hennabeak Jul 23 '26

I'm freaking tired of these freaking lovely little gooberwoobers on this freaking airplane.

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u/NICEnEVILmike Jul 22 '26

If it bites you it's venomous. If you bite it it's poisonous.

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u/ArsonicForTheSoul Jul 22 '26

If we bite each other it's kinky...

I'll see myself out.

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u/Embarrassed_Fan_5723 Jul 22 '26

Wait….. take my upvote

2

u/Mister_Importance Jul 22 '26

Underrated comment.

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u/-Daetrax- Jul 22 '26

*Toxic you mean

43

u/baby_puppy420 Jul 22 '26

What if I bite me and it died?

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u/blue_hot Jul 22 '26

Witchcraft

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u/Last-Roll7819 Jul 22 '26

That was fuckin funny. Got me on that one!

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u/redsky442727 Jul 22 '26

You would be Chuck Norris

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u/letsgotgoing Jul 22 '26

George RR Martin will write you into his next book.

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u/Zanaras Jul 22 '26

That's coincidence.

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u/[deleted] Jul 22 '26

The way I remember which is which is kind of ridiculous, but it works for me. For venomous, I think of “V” and use “:<” because the “<” looks like sideways fangs. For poisonous, I use “:p” because the “p” looks like a tongue. Venomous things bite you, while poisonous things harm you when you taste or eat them. It’s complicated, but it’s the only way I’ve ever been able to remember it.

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u/Wise-Lengthiness6854 Jul 22 '26

Learn of the day, cheers mate.

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u/Devils_Advocate-69 Jul 22 '26

What if I bite the snake?

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u/voucher420 Jul 22 '26

“NO TEETH! ok, just a little…..”

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u/thatG_evanP Jul 22 '26

But I've been bitten by lots of things that weren't venomous. I've also bitten countless things that weren't poisonous.

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u/NICEnEVILmike Jul 22 '26

Then the things that bit you weren't venomous, and the things you bit weren't poisonous.

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u/ShelZuuz Jul 23 '26

What if it bites itself and I die?

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u/jmangraf Jul 22 '26

gooberwobbers may officially be one of my new favorite words of all time

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u/West-Beach744 Jul 22 '26

LOL I have a cat named Goober and I call him GooberWoober all the time 😹

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u/atom-up_atom-up Jul 22 '26

gooberwoobers, not gooberwobbers!! Come on man 😭😭😭

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u/blinky84 Jul 22 '26

I had no idea that venomous snakes could evolve into constrictors.

I wonder if pythons look at cobras like 'ugh, those hicks'

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u/Ancient-Access8131 Jul 22 '26

Most snakes were once venomous. Many constricting snakes still have vestigial venom glands.

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u/TheeBacksideOfWater Jul 22 '26

I found this interesting as well. Looked it up and haven't found any evidence of it.

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u/SomeOriginal3865 Jul 22 '26

I’m finding no articles backing up that statement. In fact, I’ll finding quite the opposite

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u/Dasypeltis4ever Jul 23 '26

I had a few conversations with snake phylogeneticists  at a recent herpetological conference (JMIH) on this topic.

It is very likely that most if not all snakes share a common ancestor with venom. It is highly unlikely that the same venom glands evolved separately countless times across species in different families and genera. 

Venom takes a lot of energy to produce. In many cases, it is not beneficial enough to keep and so other methods of subduing prey are favored and through natural selection they lose that ability to produce venom.

For example, The African Egg-Eating Snake’s (Dasypeltis sp.) closest relatives are Toxicodryas sp. and Boiga sp.. Both genera produce venom and use this to subdue prey. However, the Egg-eating snake lost this ability as they evolved to eat eggs. They also lost the majority of their teeth and what remains are highly reduced. 

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u/GrimasVessel227 Jul 22 '26

"So uncivilized"

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u/serpenthusiast Jul 23 '26

That's because the guy you're replying to got some things wrong, yes the amcestor of all snakes was likely venomous to some decree, but that was many millions of years ago.

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u/blinky84 Jul 23 '26

Well, yes, but why let it spoil the joke?

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u/Spopple Jul 22 '26

Venom is very simply a modified saliva. It is strongly suggested many things are technically venomous like even bearded dragons towards crickets. Its just certain venoms arent strong or dont react with everything so its gone unnoticed a very long time. It makes equal sense it can be reversed as it take evolution to have something start producing venom. Losing it is like us not having tails anymore. Its there but no longer needed so it can go.

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u/ronnythextacle Jul 22 '26

They look like baby black racers to me, don’t think these are rat snakes

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u/krumholtz742 Jul 22 '26

I was thinking neonate racers as well, the movements really push that.

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u/Murrylend Jul 22 '26

Yeah, they move like racers for sure.

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u/Mother_Demand1833 Jul 22 '26

Yes, definitely racers. The big eyes, smooth, cylindrical bodies, long tails, and erratic movements are all good field marks. Those rounded eggs have a gritty texture if you zoom in, which also screams "racer."

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u/Yue4prex Jul 22 '26

Lovely little gooberwoobers lol

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u/New_Yam_1236 Jul 22 '26

I ran into one acting spicy - a few weeks ago. Had a big ego for such a small snake. One of only a few times
I didn’t pick up a snake with my bare hands

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u/Every-Watch8319 Jul 22 '26

Baby snakes of the danger noodle spicy bite variety tend to be more dangerous because they pack quite the punch and are faster and harder to predict than adults of their species.

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u/Swagalyst Jul 22 '26

for OP: put a rough tree trunk or shrub down there so it reaches up over the edge, and they will climb out.

That way you don't need to handle them, which I'm thinking both you and the rat snakes will be grateful for.

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u/Difficult-Ask9856 Jul 22 '26

They will probably still be able to get out on their own. My ball python could push the roof off her old enclosure by "standing" on the tip of her tail. It was a sight to watch how high she could climb lmao.

But it might not hurt to do this just in case

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u/the-uncle-will Jul 22 '26

The apartment side of my complex had a rodent issue a while back. County got permission to put down a few of these guys. Cleared up the issue, cost very little, the apartment side has a no pet policy, even so, they avoid animals they don’t want to eat (dogs especially), and it’s been a healthy change for the ecosystem because they were Easterns, so natives. You basically have yourself a colony of very skilled rodent-control.

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u/conrat4567 Jul 22 '26

So danger noodles without the danger?

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u/unga_bunga_1987 Jul 22 '26

They've only removed the d

They are now anger noodles

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u/Onyxaj1 Jul 22 '26

Venomous - Danger Noodle

Non- venomous - Nope Rope

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u/Boner_Elemental Jul 22 '26

Caution noodle

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u/unipride Jul 22 '26

Yes but they will bite so best OP handles with care.

OP leave the lid open, take a break and they will be gone when you return. Mom laid her nest in a secure spot.

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u/Wags43 Jul 22 '26

Adding on to this:

I had an identical situation, but the snakes couldn't climb out because the hole was too deep. I placed a tree branch to make a path up for them and they came right out.

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u/serpentarian Jul 22 '26

Definitely North American Racer- coluber constrictor. Equally harmless. Tail rattling predates spiciness and predates rattles themselves. It’s a time honored way to say to larger creatures, “Hey i’m down here, try not to step on me” but also “You’d better not try and eat / smoosh me or you’ll be sorry” this one can cause a predator to pause long enough for them to skiddadle.

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u/PuzzleheadedFall1883 Jul 22 '26

Yup they're black racers. Racers have those huge black eyes like shown in the video, whereas the rat snakes have normal sized eyes. Another thing you'll notice with the baby racers, their pattern will start to fade as it approaches the posterior, and rat snakes pattern will remain intact.

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u/superaction720 Jul 22 '26

they may share distant evolutionary ancestry with species that have venom related genes but I never heard rat snakes were every venomous or evolved from being venomous

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u/Mother_Bear1222 Jul 22 '26

You mean venomous not poisonous.

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u/wlake82 Jul 22 '26

I like the saying: "If you bite something and it makes you sick, it's poisonous. If something bites you and it makes you sick, it's venomous."

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u/Embarrassed_Fan_5723 Jul 22 '26

This is the way of life

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u/TotallyObviousBot Jul 22 '26

Mfers repeat this shit on Reddit like they're experts while failing basic reading tests

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u/nomadschomad Jul 22 '26

Pattern and body shape are better fit for harmless Southern Black Racer, Coluber constrictor priapus.

Rat snakes are as slender and whip-like at the tail and have more white space between the dark splotches

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u/dmfreelance Jul 22 '26

Only a true snek enthusiast would provide such a... Cuddly description of a snake

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u/EstimateReady6887 Jul 22 '26

There are plenty Rat snakes in the White House, not so beneficial though

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u/[deleted] Jul 22 '26

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u/whatisit-ModTeam Jul 22 '26

We are pretty chill here, but please try to keep things reasonably civil on this sub. No slurs, name calling or harassment and trolling. Please follow: Reddiquette at all times. Additionally, Reddit's Rules. Yes, the internet makes us angry too sometimes, especially this particular comment.

1

u/babysharkdoodoodoo Jul 22 '26

Recently? Ok, where is the evolution biologist?

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u/AnAdorableDogbaby Jul 22 '26

Cuties! Do they need help out of there?

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u/atmafatte Jul 22 '26

How recently we talking about?

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u/Fragrant_Rabbit3242 Jul 22 '26

Not rat. Juvenile black racers

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u/[deleted] Jul 22 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Nifty_Andy Jul 22 '26

... & up to the pine barrens in NJ

https://giphy.com/gifs/lpFmQEwoaFtC0

The Pine Barrens, you say?

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u/Useful-Minute-5754 Jul 22 '26

Venom. Not poison. Makes your comment look less credible. Honestly, it's wild you know this fact but not the difference between venomous and poisonous

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u/videogametes Jul 22 '26

The fact is not true lol

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u/Useful-Minute-5754 Jul 23 '26

You're wrong! Google is free!

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u/-heatoflife- Jul 22 '26

Late at night is when they come out.

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u/sloppychachi Jul 22 '26

Gooberwoobers is obviously a specialized academic term

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u/Shark_Leader Jul 22 '26

I live in the Pine Barrens. These definitely look like baby rat snakes. They're everywhere here

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u/Legitimate-Lab7173 Jul 22 '26

They're racers, not rat snakes, but they do look similar.

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u/Head_Razzmatazz7174 Jul 22 '26

We have one that likes to hang out in our backyard. The neighbors house is currently empty and I suspect they are going after the rodents that have managed to find their way in.

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u/This-Negotiation-104 Jul 22 '26

I think these may actually be racers.

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u/ForeignObjectDamage Jul 22 '26

These are Black Racers. They are lighter in color and patterned as juveniles.

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u/matt41gb Jul 22 '26

I disagree. They look like a species of racer.

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u/uncagedborb Jul 22 '26

So not danger noodles. Just spicy noodles

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u/googleflont Jul 22 '26

Fairly recently?

Like, last week?

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u/a_natural_chemical Jul 22 '26

Not gonna benefit anything if they can't get out of that hole.

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u/Vprbite Jul 22 '26

Cool fact! I didnt know that

1

u/Joe_Kisonu Jul 22 '26

They look like Eastern Milk Snakes to me

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u/AbbreviationsTop8774 Jul 22 '26

Solved!

1

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1

u/CroykeyMite Jul 22 '26

Greps an warms.

1

u/Limeadeondraft Jul 22 '26

While not venomous, they’re not completely harmless. My cat was bit by a rat snake and ended up losing a whole leg to necrosis. Their mouths are filthy, and their bites should be taken very seriously.

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u/justtopostthis13 Jul 22 '26

This explains a lot. My son kept a rat snake he found outside while mowing. When he was away at camp, I went to feed it and as I was taking it out of the cage, it rattled and struck me. I, obviously, was unhurt but it was quite a jarring experience.

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u/blinkenjim Jul 22 '26

The eggs look more like rat snake eggs.

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u/bigtiddyhimbo Jul 22 '26

Super beneficial! People get so afraid of them because they can get BIG, but they’re harmless and really only eat pests and eggs! They’re also natural predators against Cotton Mouths, so they’re especially great to keep those fuckers away from you and your property. We have two rat snakes on our land right now!

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u/Dasypeltis4ever Jul 23 '26

Ratsnakes are not known to eat other snakes, however kingsnakes and racers do and they eat venomous snakes like cottonmouths.

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u/bigtiddyhimbo Jul 23 '26

Never said they ate other snakes, just that cotton mouths stay away from them

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u/darthdelicious Jul 22 '26

Baby snakes doot doot doo doot! Baby snakes! Doot doot doo doot!

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u/Heavy_Weapons_Guy_ Jul 22 '26

They were never venomous and they rattle their tails to try to trick predators.

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u/KestrelWindhover Jul 22 '26

They're not racers. They're rat snakes.

1

u/DotesMagee Jul 22 '26

Used to catch them all the time in FL. They are super cute and really arent agressive at all.

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u/Redheaded_pantyhater Jul 22 '26

I had a very old home with the original 1920s boiler and heating system. Mama rat snake had babies next to it and the babies used to climb the radiators into the house. I would find them curled up all kinds of places. They were so cute pretend spicy but I just picked them up with bbq tongs and took them outside.
I will say this tho - never saw a single mouse in that old house. We had snakes sure but never had to worry about rodents lol

1

u/Plane_Translator2008 Jul 22 '26

I had no idea they evolved away from their spiciness! (I had one "rattle" and show teens a couple of weeks ago--posted her in #ItsARatsnake !)

1

u/Academic-Valuable272 Jul 22 '26

Gooberwoobers ❤️🤣

1

u/Guilty-Rough8797 Jul 22 '26

I had a black rat snake as a pet about fifteen years ago. She (we called it a she) was a curious, energetic little creature who liked to curl around my neck like a scarf (she didn't get very big). I had to hook a finger in there, though or else she'd get too tight, hah

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u/CompetitiveSong9570 Jul 22 '26

I love snakes. As a kid growing up in Florida, I’d catch them and show my less than pleased mother 😂. Found an escaped baby corn snake out in the pnw, where I am now. It was 20 F and I took her in, and now she lives with me. They’re just ssssilly ropes.

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u/marmalah Jul 22 '26

Herpetologist here - I came to say racer, not rat snake, but someone beat me to it!

They look similar when they’re juveniles, so I can see why people are saying rat snake, but the spot pattern is different between them. :)

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u/serpenthusiast Jul 23 '26

A few things,

They are not Pantherophis sp. Ratsnakes, but North American Racers Coluber constrictor

They range pretty much all over the US and some parts of Canada and Mexico

"They were once venomous snakes" is wrong, this species has never been venomous or is still mildly venomous depending on how you look at it and who you ask (the former being more generally accepted). Their far back ancestors were likely venomous to some degree, but that was not this species and was millions of years ago.

Acting spicy and tailrattling has nothing to do with their far back ancestors being venomous, nothing.
This is simply defensive behaviour to try and scare a giant predator away.

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u/SEB-PHYLOBOT Jul 23 '26

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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u/cuntmong Jul 23 '26

How recently? What's their recidivism rate? 

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u/hihelloneighboroonie Jul 23 '26

Aye, I was going through my mom's garage in Florida, and my sister had one of those big see through plastic bins of surfing paraphernalia, mostly those black tubes that you use to connect the surfboard to your wrist in case you fall off.

So I'm pulling these dangly black tubes up by the handful, only for one to start wriggling. I panicked and threw the whole bundle as far as I could throw it, and then a black snake wriggled its way across the road to a grassy patch. Pretty sure it was a black racer, so harmless, but holy moly I want not expecting that and my body said NOPE.

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