Last two Washington snakes

This is the sixth in a series about dangerous and irritating Eastern Washington Critters.

Today we continue our discussion about snakes in Eastern Washington. These are the last two Washington snakes we have yet to cover. This information is gathered from Fish and Wildlife and other Internet sources, along with my observations and experiences.

Rubber boa

The rubber boa is a member of the same family as the world’s largest snakes, including the boa constrictor, python, and anaconda. However, our local species only measures 14 to 30 inches. It is olive-green, reddish-brown or tan to chocolate-brown. It looks rubbery and has a short, broad snout and a short, blunt tail, giving it a two-headed appearance.

The rubber boa is found in damp wooded areas, large grassy areas and moist sandy areas along rocky streams, being particularly fond of rotting stumps and logs. Although seldom encountered, this snake can be common in appropriate habitat.

Years ago, I turned over a rotten log during a warm day while deer hunting. There, in the rotten wood, was a snake. It was a rubber boa. It wrapped around my wrist and stayed there during the rest of my hunt. Finally, a few days later at Mom’s insistence, it was presented to Mr. Irwin, the biology teacher at Moses Lake High School.

Western racer

The Western racer occurs in warm, dry, open or brushy country where it is often observed streaking across roads. Depending on the subspecies, adult racers can be around 35 to 75 inches long. They have narrow heads and long, slender, smooth bodies usually of a solid dark color, including black, gray, blue and olive brown. Their undersides are always a light color, ranging from white to yellow.

Where they live: Racers can be found from southern Canada to Guatemala. There are many subspecies of racers, each of which have very different ranges.

The western yellow-bellied racer is a subspecies found in Eastern Washington as well as California, Nevada, western Colorado, Oregon, and southern British Columbia.

What they eat: Young racers start out eating small animals, mostly insects, spiders, small frogs, small reptiles, and young rodents. As they grow, they can eat larger animals, including nestling birds and their eggs, squirrels, small rabbits, small turtles and larger snakes.

Breeding facts: Sometime between June and early July, females search for a suitable nest site, which can include a rotted stump or log, old mammal burrow, or a nest cavity in leaf litter or sand. They lay 3-32 white oval eggs that will hatch in August or early September.

Other racer information: Despite its name, racers usually move at a speed of only 4 miles per hour. If a predator manages to come really close, the racer will smear secretions from its scent glands all over its body.

Viewing Snakes

All snakes tend to be inconspicuous, preferring to move away and hide or lie still in the hope of being overlooked. Most encounters are momentary. Although snakes are often seen as threatening, they will hiss, strike or bite only if they are cornered or restrained.

Most of the time, snakes are slow moving, but they can make short dashes to chase prey or escape from predators. They are unable to sustain long-distance movement.

Because snakes are particularly active and less wary during the breeding season, begin to be on the lookout for them in spring.

Snakes are often inactive during the hottest part of the day, especially in mid- to late summer, and seek shelter or crawl underground to avoid overheating. In desert areas, snakes may become active at night when the air cools, and while the ground remains warm.

It is environmentally unsound to capture snakes and try to relocate them on your property or keep them as pets. Due to their well-developed homing instincts, most snakes will soon leave an unfamiliar area, which usually results in their being killed on the roads or by predators.

Basking Sites

Most snakes reach their preferred body temperature by basking on surfaces exposed to sun. They control their body temperature by moving in and out of the sunlight. They also derive body heat by lying on or under warm surfaces.

In hot areas, look for snakes basking in the morning sun on asphalt, concrete, rocks and wooden fences. In cooler regions, they can be seen basking throughout the day. Snakes tend to bask on sun-warmed roads in the evening, a fact that often leads to them being run over.

Snakes trails are most easily seen in sandy or dusty areas in their preferred habitats. Snake tracks may be wavy or straight lines.

Shed Snake Skin

A growing snake sheds its skin every four to five weeks. You can tell when it is ready to shed, as its eyes look bluish-white and dull. Snakes may even become temporarily blinded until the old skin splits at the head and they are able to crawl out. Shed skin looks like thin, clear plastic, with every detail of the scales still visible, even the eyeball cover. Look for shed skin under boards, in rock piles, and other places where snakes congregate.

Dennis note: Snake skins are interesting and unique. I have found many and have tried to keep them. They are fragile and difficult to preserve. Perhaps laying/stapling the skin on cardboard and spraying it with lacquer would do the trick.

Next week: More info about dangerous and irritating Eastern Washington Critters.