amily: Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes
Description 36-72" (90-152 cm). Large, slender, agile, and fast moving. Adults pale blue or bluish-green above; head darker blue. Belly white or bluish-white. Young gray with conspicuous dark spots on sides and dark gray, brown, or reddish-brown blotches down midline of back. Scales smooth, in 17 rows (15 rows at vent). Anal plate divided.
Habitat Prairies, open woodland, lake and bog edges, and other open areas.
Range Extreme s. Ontario, Michigan, and nw. Ohio west to se. Minnesota, e. Iowa, and most of Illinois.
Discussion This racer subspecies can be confused with blue individuals of the smaller Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer, which occupies the plains from Montana to Texas. The two subspecies sometimes intergrade.
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