Trigger warning (beautiful Florida Black Racer (snake)) [View all]

I am building a grape arbor (Southern Home and Delicious Purple Muscadine) and met one of my tenants that provide pest control. They live in burrows dug by other animals like armadillos and gopher tortoises, of which I have many in the area of the arbor. Their first instinct is to remain motionless, but sudden movements will cause them to disappear in a flash, befitting their name Racer. This one allowed me to get within 10’, and I even got down to ground level for this one-on-one. I estimate this fella at 4’ and diameter of a quarter, the longest ever recorded was ~6’. They eat just about anything they can catch, and few small animals can outrun them. They on the other hand are preyed upon by my hawks and opossums, probably racoons too. We coexist with an uneasy acceptance of each other. I love how I can see the low winter sun in the eye.