Coluber constrictor etheridgei

Coluber constrictor etheridgei, commonly known as the tan racer, is a subspecies of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae, a subspecies of the eastern racer (Coluber constrictor). The subspecies is native to the southern United States.

Coluber constrictor etheridgei
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Coluber
Species:	C. constrictor
Subspecies:	C. c. etheridgei
Trinomial name
Coluber constrictor etheridgei Wilson, 1970

Geographic range

C. c. etheridgei is found in west-central Louisiana and adjacent eastern Texas.^[1]

Etymology

The subspecific name or epithet, etheridgei, is in honor of the American herpetologist Richard Emmett Etheridge.^[2]

Description

The tan racer, as its name implies, is typically a solid tan in color.^[3] Juveniles have a pattern of dark brown dorsal blotches,^[3] which fade to solid tan at about a year of age.^{[citation needed]} The underside is typically gray or white, sometimes with yellow spotting.^{[citation needed]} It typically grows from .75 – 1.5 m (30 to 60 inches) in total length (including tail).^{[citation needed]} It has large eyes, with round pupils, and excellent vision.^{[citation needed]}

Behavior

Like all racers, the tan racer is diurnal and highly active.^{[citation needed]} Its diet consists of a wide variety of prey, but primarily includes rodents, and lizards.^{[citation needed]} It is fast moving, and generally seeks to use its speed to escape if approached.^{[citation needed]}

Habitat

The tan racer prefers habitats of pine flatwoods.^{[citation needed]}

Reproduction

C. c. etheridgei is oviparous.^[1] Mating occurs in the spring, and a clutch of approximately 30 eggs is laid typically in the month of May, to hatch mid summer.^{[citation needed]}