North American Racer

North American Racer

Coluber constrictor

Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Everglades National Park

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

405 Verified sightings at Everglades National Park From 2019 to 2026
776 In all 11 parks
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the North American Racer

The eastern racer, or North American racer (Coluber constrictor), is a species of nonvenomous snake in the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to North America and Central America. Eleven subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies, are recognized, which as a group are commonly referred to as the eastern racers. The species is monotypic in the genus Coluber.

Coluber constrictor is found throughout much of the United States, on both sides of the Rocky Mountains, but it also ranges north into Canada and south into Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. Adult eastern racers can typically vary from 50 to 152 cm (20 to 60 in) in total length (tail included) depending on the subspecies, but a record-sized specimen measured 185.4 cm (73.0 in) in total length. A typical adult specimen will weigh around 556 g (1.226 lb), with little size difference between the sexes.

The patterns vary widely among subspecies. Most are solid-colored as their common names imply: black racers, brown racers, tan racers, blue racers, or green racers. "Runner" is sometimes used instead of "racer" in their common names. All... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording0:08

United States · 2023

© Iñigo Javaloyes · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Recording0:11

United States · 2025

© Kelsey Proffitt Art · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
2 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
3 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
4 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
5 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
6 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
11 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Orlando 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
2 Miami 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
3 Denver 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Houston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Salt Lake City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
2 Virginia Zoological Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
3 Reptile Gardens 🇺🇸 United States In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a North American Racer in Everglades National Park?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a North American Racer sighting in Everglades National Park on a given day, based on 405 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 11th most-seen of the 54 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a North American Racer in Everglades National Park?

May and September–October

In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a North American Racer in Everglades National Park on a given day, against about 30% in January and February, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a North American Racer?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most North American Racer sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Everglades National Park the best place to see a North American Racer?

Yes

Of the 11 parks where we can rate North American Racer sightings, Everglades National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Big Cypress National Preserve (United States, about 40%) and Congaree National Park (United States, about 40%).

Which relatives of the North American Racer live in Everglades National Park?

Same family: Colubridae

The closest relatives of the North American Racer that you can see in Everglades National Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Corn Snake (about 30%), Scarletsnake (about 30%) and Banded Water Snake (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the North American Racer sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the North American Racer is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Everglades National Park (405 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Everglades National Park