The Racers 



constrictors, but subdue their prey by holding it firmly to the 

 ground under a portion of the body and engulfing it at the same 

 time. The species are not striking in their colouration, showing 

 hues of olive, brown or black, but their large size and polished 

 scales render them rather showy among colubrine snakes. 



A description is given of the single species inhabiting North 

 America: 



THE GOPHER SNAKE; INDIGO SNAKE 

 Spilotes corais, variety couperi, (Holbrook) 



As this species attains a length of over eight feet, it must 

 be rated as one of the largest of the North American serpents. 

 The body is moderately stout and the entire scalation is as 

 polished as glass; the high polish of the scales imparts, when the 

 reptile is in a strong light, a blue-black hue hence the popular 

 name of Indigo Snake. Specimens that have recently cast 

 their skins show all the prismatic colours on the plates of the 

 abdomen, which present a surface like burnished metal. 



Colouration. Entire upper and under surfaces (with the 

 exception of the chin and sides of head) lustrous black, or blue- 

 black. The chin, throat and upper lip plates are reddish-brown. 



Dimensions. With the exception of the Western species 

 of Pituoplis the Bull Snakes and several of the Colubers, this 

 snake attains the greatest length of any of the North American 

 serpents. 



Following are the measurements of a fair-sized specimen, 

 from Seven Oaks, Florida: 



Total Length 6 feet, 1 1 inches. 



Length of Tail 13 



Greatest Diameter 2 



Width of Head jf " 



Length of Head 2\ 



The largest specimen examined by the writer was measured 

 as follows : 



Total Length 7 ft. 9 inches 



Length of Tail 13^ 



Greatest Diameter 2\ " 



Width of Head if 



Length of Head 3 



276 



