Galápagos Racer
Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Family
SPECIES
Pseudalsophis biserialis
Population size
Unknown
Length
80-125
31.5-49.2
cminch
cm inch 

The Galápagos racer (Pseudalsophis biserialis ) is a colubrid snake in the genus Pseudalsophis that is endemic to the Galápagos Islands. It is a mildly venomous constrictor but it is not considered aggressive or harmful to humans. The two subspecies are the eastern and western racers, the latter being larger, longer, and darker than the former. The western subspecies specializes in hunting fish, while both subspecies eat small reptiles, eggs, rodents, and bird hatchlings. The Galapagos racer is near threatened due to recently introduced species that feed on snake eggs, including pigs, rats, mice, and cats. It is one of only three species of snakes on the Galápagos Islands, and it was first described in 1860. In November 2016, a video clip from the BBC series Planet Earth II showing a group of Galápagos racers hunting marine iguana hatchlings became a viral trend.

Cr

Crepuscular

Ca

Carnivore

Te

Terrestrial

Ov

Oviparous

Pr

Precocial

Pr

Predator

Mi

Mildly venomous

So

Solitary

No

Not a migrant

G

starts with

Appearance

The Galápagos racer is a mildly venomous constrictor but it is not considered aggressive or harmful to humans. The two subspecies are the eastern and western racers, the latter being larger, longer, and darker than the former. It is one of only three species of snakes on the Galápagos Islands, and it was first described in 1860.

Video

Distribution

Geography

Continents
Countries
Islands
Biogeographical realms

These snakes can be found only in the Galápagos Islands where they inhabit dry forests, shrubland, and rural gardens.

Climate zones

Habits and Lifestyle

Galápagos racers are solitary creatures and prefer to spend time singly. They are most active around dawn and dusk and usually rest around midday. They are one of the fastest snakes but when hunting they rely not only on their speed. Galápagos racers use their cryptic coloration when preying and also their acute sight.

Seasonal behavior

Diet and Nutrition

Galápagos racers are carnivores that feed mainly on small reptiles, eggs, rodents, bird hatchlings, and fish.

Mating Habits

FEMALE NAME
female
MALE NAME
male
BABY NAME
snakelet

Little information is known about the mating system and reproductive habits of this species.

Population

Population threats

Galapagos racers are near threatened due to recently introduced species like pigs, rats, mice, and cats that feed on snake eggs.

Population number

The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Galápagos racer total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List.

References

1. Galapagos racer Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galapagos_racer
2. Galapagos racer on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/190541/56253872

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