Blue runner babies

[Matt G]

I killed a blue runner a few weeks ago in the yard that was a bit aggressive. After I moved her, I noticed she had laid eggs in a small divot next to my sewer tank. My wife has a friend who works with snakes so we gave her a call to see if she wanted the eggs. She came pick them up and brought them to a coworker to incubate them and try to hatch them. Well she sent pictures yesterday that they hatched! They will all be turned loose in an area that is safe for them. As much as I hate snakes, this is pretty cool.

[rardoin]

They sure look different from the adults. If I saw one in my yard I would not have guessed it was a Blue Runner.

[Matt G]

Originally Posted by rardoin

They sure look different from the adults. If I saw one in my yard I would not have guessed it was a Blue Runner.

I was thrown off by that as well when I first saw the pictures. Apparently they will loose their markings as they get older.

[Matt G]

a

[Matt G]

b

[Duck Butter]

Originally Posted by Matt G

I killed a blue runner a few weeks ago in the yard that was a bit aggressive. After I moved her, I noticed she had laid eggs in a small divot next to my sewer tank. My wife has a friend who works with snakes so we gave her a call to see if she wanted the eggs. She came pick them up and brought them to a coworker to incubate them and try to hatch them. Well she sent pictures yesterday that they hatched! They will all be turned loose in an area that is safe for them. As much as I hate snakes, this is pretty cool.

Cool

[redchaserron]

My daughter and I catch snakes together quite a bit. While they aren't venemous, "Blue Runners" or "Racers" tend to be agressive/bitey. Corn snakes are usually real docile, probably why they sell corn snakes in pet stores.

[duckman1911]

Isn't that a coachwhip or do I have my snakes confused? I took some pics of a big coachwhip a while back. He climbed up in a tree so the pics weren't great. Cool snakes. Cool story. I love snakes. I don't harm them unless they are causing an issue. Cottonmouths are the exception to the rule. They are shot on sight.

[Matt G]

Originally Posted by duckman1911

Isn't that a coachwhip or do I have my snakes confused? I took some pics of a big coachwhip a while back. He climbed up in a tree so the pics weren't great. Cool snakes. Cool story. I love snakes. I don't harm them unless they are causing an issue. Cottonmouths are the exception to the rule. They are shot on sight.

I've never heard of a coachwhip before. I'm definitely not the guy to talk snake species with. Unless it's a king snake, I see it on my property, I shoot it.


The mom looked like this:




As far as cottonmouths go, we killed 8 between my neighbor and I this year. The person who has the pasture between us dug a horse pond that they let go to crap. Ever since then, we've had snake issues. I finally had enough and got in there with the bush hog a few weekends ago.

[duckman1911]

Originally Posted by Matt G

I've never heard of a coachwhip before. I'm definitely not the guy to talk snake species with. Unless it's a king snake, I see it on my property, I shoot it.


The mom looked like this:




As far as cottonmouths go, we killed 8 between my neighbor and I this year. The person who has the pasture between us dug a horse pond that they let go to crap. Ever since then, we've had snake issues. I finally had enough and got in there with the bush hog a few weekends ago.

Yep that's a coachwhip. I believe coachwhip is their actual name and runner or blue runner is just a common name. Man those devils are fast. The one I took pics of must have been in the 7 foot range. I wish I still had tose pics even though they were crappy. Not a snake we see often around here.

[Duck Butter]

Originally Posted by duckman1911

Yep that's a coachwhip. I believe coachwhip is their actual name and runner or blue runner is just a common name. Man those devils are fast. The one I took pics of must have been in the 7 foot range. I wish I still had tose pics even though they were crappy. Not a snake we see often around here.

Its a racer in the pic. Coachwhips will have that tan tail that almost looks "braided". Blue runners are what people usually refer to as the buttermilk racer. There are several different racers and many of them hybridize so they give off some crazy colorations at times. Caught this one a few months back, one of the more docile ones. Usually pretty aggressive when caught

[redchaserron]

Originally Posted by duckman1911

Yep that's a coachwhip. I believe coachwhip is their actual name and runner or blue runner is just a common name. Man those devils are fast. The one I took pics of must have been in the 7 foot range. I wish I still had tose pics even though they were crappy. Not a snake we see often around here.

Coachwhips and racers (blue runners) are different species, though similar. They are both colubrids.

[Duck Butter]

Originally Posted by duckman1911

Isn't that a coachwhip or do I have my snakes confused? I took some pics of a big coachwhip a while back. He climbed up in a tree so the pics weren't great. Cool snakes. Cool story. I love snakes. I don't harm them unless they are causing an issue. Cottonmouths are the exception to the rule. They are shot on sight.

newborn coachwhips do look very similar to those. In fact, coachwhips are now in the same genus as racers. Coachwhips are the fastest snake in the US.

[duckman1911]

They pose no harm. If you're fast enough to catch one and do get bit it will just be a few scratches and nothing a wash and some peroxide won't take care of. I'll trade you all the coachwhips you have around your house for all the scorpions I have around mine. Deal? Lol

[duckman1911]

Ok cool. My mistake. The one I saw (assuming I was right about it being a coachwhip) was about 7 foot. The last foot or so was a bronze color and looked like plated armour. It was fast as hell also. Came around a curve and saw it then slammed on the brakes. It was gone before I knew it. Luckily I saw it climb up a sapling and was able to get out and take a closer look. I think snakes (for the most part) are really cool. Had a boa in the 7 foot range and she wwould get out of her cage and not show up for weeks somtimes. She always came back when she got hungry. She only bit me once and it was my fault.