The Racer is a black snake from New England with smooth scales. The face of the snake's face is white or gray. It's stomach is generally dark [gray, bluish, or black] from the throat back. The snake as a silky or stain-like because of the smooth scales. A juvenile racer is gray with large brown, black, or reddish blotches. The snake has dark eyes and the pattern on it starts to fades after it gets older. The same pattern will disappear when it reaches 25-30 inches in length. The racer is the only large, black snake in New England with smooth scales.

     Racers mate in the spring and females deposit 10-12 eggs in mammal burrows under rocks, logs, mulch, or rotting logs. When they lay eggs in June or July hatch in August and September. They eat small mammals, other snakes and insects. These snakes bite very hard and often. These snakes are difficult to capture because they spray musk at the person trying to capture them.