Natural History of the Racer Coluber constrictor — John Shaqi
Natural History of the Racer Coluber constrictorFitch, Henry S. (Henry Sheldon)
Science
Natural History of the Racer Coluber constrictor
Fitch, Henry S. (Henry Sheldon)
Racer snake
In the course of my study no racers were found in their actual
hibernacula. Insofar as known, these were always in deep crevices in
strata of limestone near hilltops, and were inaccessible except by
removal of the solid rock. The crevices where racers hibernate are
known to be several feet deep in some instances, extending well below
the frost line. Periodic temperature readings in two such crevices at
depths of 12 inches and 30 inches, taken in the winter of 1954 (Fitch,
1956:471) showed that temperatures during dormancy are usually well
within the range 0°C to 10°. Whether the racers congregate in
hibernating masses in regular "dens" on the Reservation has not been
definitely determined, but if so, most of the hibernating groups must
be small, because those trapped along the ledges are well scattered,
and, in fact, give the impression of being rather uniformly
distributed along them. However, ledges of northward exposure are not
used as hibernation sites, so far as known, and those of full
southward exposure are perhaps preferred, especially where the hilltop
has a southward projecting spur, and the exposed rock face is
extensive, with many cracks and fissures. I have been unable to detect
differences in types of hibernation sites preferred between the racer
and the copperhead, which is somewhat more numerous on the same area.
Several authors have contributed to knowledge of hibernation in the
racer. Boyer and Heinze in Missouri (1934:195) noted that blue racers
often were associated with copperheads in the vicinity of places
chosen for hibernation. Burt (1935:329) in Kansas found blue racers
emerging from dens among rocks on a prairie hillside, associating with
other snakes, _Diadophis punctatus_, _Elaphe guttata_, and _Pituophis
melanoleucus_. In the Chicago region, Pope (1944:173) reported scores
of blue racers aggregating in October on and around a sand dune with
oak woodland. In Ohio, Conant (1938:55) found three blue racers
hibernating together about three feet underground in a small hole. One
found at another locality had apparently hibernated in company with a
massasauga (_Sistrurus catenatus_). In Maryland Cohen (1939:137) saw
racers (_C. c. constrictor_) in the act of emerging from an old vole
burrow that was a communal hibernaculum, on April 6, 8, and 10. Air
temperatures at the time of emergence were 12.5° and 18.5° Centigrade.
In Illinois, Schroder (1950:1-2) found seven blue racers hibernating
in masses, intertwined with each other and with bull snakes at depths
of 36 inches and 42 inches in an abandoned mammal burrow in a sand
dune area in early February.
[Illustration: Fig. 5. Bodily temperatures of blue racers kept in a
large outdoor enclosure and checked from time to time when they were
active and the sun was shining, in June and July, 1962.]
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