Family: Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes view all from this family
Description Black, brown, blueish-green. Long and slender. Yellow-gray underside. 17 rows of smooth scales. Divided anal plate.
Dimensions 86.4-195.5cm. (34-77")
Subspecies Northern Black - Black, brown iris. Maine through to Ohio, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi.
Buttermilk - Black-bluish green, yellow spots. Arkansas, Louisiana through Texas.
Tan - Tan, lightly spottes. Louisiana to Texas.
Eastern Yellow-bellied - Blue-bluish green, gray or brown above. Cream/yellow belly. Montana through to North dakota, Irwa,Arkansas, Gulf coast, Texas and Louisiana.
Blue - Bluish-green, whitish underside. Ontario to Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa to Illinois.
Blue - Bluish green, whitish/blue on underside. Ontario, Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa through to Illinois.
Brown-chinned - Black. Brown/tan lip scales. Florida panhandle to Georgia.
Black-masked - Gray, belly pale blue. Louisiana.
Western Yellow-bellied - Green/olive to brown/yellow. British Columbia to Baja California. Also Montana, Wyoming and Colorado.
Mexican - Back greenish/gray, light sides. 51-102cm (20-40") long. Texas to Mexico.
Everglades - Green, brown or bluish, whitish belly. Florida Everglade to Cape Canavernal.
Southern Black - White chin, red/orange iris. North Carolina to Florida Everglades coastal plain. Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi Valley, Illinois and Indiana.
Breeding Breeds April-May. 5-28 eggs laid June-August in rotting tree stumps or sawdust piles. Incubated 6-9 weeks. Hatchlings 20-33cm (8-13") long. Mature after 2-3 years.
Habitat Fields, grassland, brush areas and prairie land.
Range British Columbia, Ontario through United States.
Discussion Diurnal. Terrestrial. Mostly on the ground but a good climber. Hibernates in large numbers. Diet of frogs, lizards, rodents and birds. Not a constrictor, despite its name.