Colubridae
Puerto Rican Racer
HarmlessBorikenophis portoricensis
6 photographs of the Puerto Rican Racer. © ihstevenson.
The Puerto Rican Racer (Borikenophis portoricensis) is a rear-fanged, mildly venomous snake in the Colubridae family, recorded in 6 countries.
- Family
- Colubridae
About the Puerto Rican Racer
Borikenophis portoricensis (Puerto Rican Spanish: culebra corredora; English: Puerto Rican racer) is a snake endemic to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. It can grow to three feet long.
Range
The Puerto Rican racer is endemic to the island of Puerto Rico, as well as the Virgin Islands. It is found in a variety of forested habitats across its range, including Toro Negro State Forest. and El Yunque National Forest.
Description
Its body sports a solid brown color with each of his scales edged by a darker brown. The Puerto Rican racer also possesses a neck hood similar, but narrower, to that of a cobra which it exposes by raising the front quarters of their bodies off the ground in a manner similar to that genus. However, unlike the Naja snakes, B. portoricensis does not gratuitously exhibit this behavior as an intimidation tactic and generally employs it while engaging on offensive behavior after being provoked, which typically involves adopting the posture followed by an emboldened strike.
Feeding
Like the Toro Negros's other various garden snakes, it is a daytime hunter. It is capable of inflicting a venomous bite. The severity of its venom depends on the susceptibility of the victim : its venom is capable of fully paralyzing small reptiles and rodents rendering them helpless for consumption, but in humans its effects ranges from mild swelling to immobilization and severe numbness that may last up to a month. No fatalities have been reported from the bite of a Puerto Rican racer.
Once it captures its prey, B. portoricensis has a tendency of relocating it prior to feeding.
Although still susceptible to infection, it is more resistant to parasites than other local snakes, allowing it to survive exclusively on lizards.
Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.
Frequently asked: Puerto Rican Racer
- Is the Puerto Rican Racer venomous?
- The Puerto Rican Racer (Borikenophis portoricensis) is rear-fanged and only mildly venomous. It is not considered dangerous to humans (its venom is weak and its fangs sit at the back of the mouth) but a bite can cause local swelling or irritation, so it should not be handled.
- Is the Puerto Rican Racer poisonous?
- Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Puerto Rican Racer is neither poisonous nor venomous.
- Is the Puerto Rican Racer dangerous?
- The Puerto Rican Racer is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
- Where does the Puerto Rican Racer live?
- The Puerto Rican Racer has verified records in 6 countries, including Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands (British), Virgin Islands (U.S.). See the distribution section below for its full range.
- What does the Puerto Rican Racer eat?
- Like the Toro Negros's other various garden snakes, it is a daytime hunter. It is capable of inflicting a venomous bite. The severity of its venom depends on the susceptibility of the victim : its venom is capable of fully paralyzing small reptiles and rodents rendering them helpless for consumption, but in humans its effects ranges from mild swelling to immobilization and severe numbness that may last up to a month. No fatalities have been reported from the bite of a Puerto Rican racer.
Where it is found
By U.S. state
More Colubridae snakes
Classification
How scientists group this snake, from the broadest category down to the exact species. Each step narrows to its closest relatives.
- OrderThe broad group of scaled reptiles: all snakes and lizards
- Squamata
- FamilyA group of related snakes that share key traits
- Colubridae
- GenusA close-knit group of very similar species
- Borikenophis
- SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name
- Borikenophis portoricensis
Keep learning
- What to Do If You Find a SnakeFound a snake at home or on a trail? Here is how to stay calm, give it space, identify it safely, and know when to call a professional.
- Venomous vs Nonvenomous: How to Tell the DifferenceThe folk rules for telling venomous snakes apart, where each one fails, and why location-based identification beats guessing by sight.
- What Is a Snake? Anatomy and the BasicsA clear overview of what makes a snake a snake: limbless body plan, anatomy, evolution from lizards, species diversity, and why they are ectothermic.
- How to Keep Snakes Out of Your Yard and HomeA practical guide to keeping snakes out of your yard and home using habitat changes that work, plus what to skip and what to do if one shows up.
Distribution from GBIF & iNaturalist. Venom status per CDC. Background: Wikipedia. Informational only. Never handle a snake to identify it.