Coluber constrictor priapus
Dunn & Wodd, 1939
Stoddard Co., Missouri. Spring 1984
When you meet a five foot black racer in the field, several illusions are manifest – the snake seems twice as long as it really is, and it seems to glide away twice as fast as it really moves (maximum speed is 10-12 mph). In southern Illinois they are quite common on rocky slopes, both wooded and open. Like other members of Coluber, I encounter them in pairs more often than not (does anyone else out there find this to be true?)
Most priapus that I see have lovely, deep blue overtones to them. Often they sport a khaki-colored nose. They are gorgeous, and to see one boiling across a rocky hillside like some dark hell-bound train is a sight not soon forgotten.
My Flickr album for this species is here.
HerpMapper records for this species are here.
