{"id":14503,"date":"2021-07-23T07:52:20","date_gmt":"2021-07-23T11:52:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/?p=14503"},"modified":"2021-07-23T07:52:20","modified_gmt":"2021-07-23T11:52:20","slug":"northern-black-racer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/?p=14503","title":{"rendered":"Northern Black Racer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-1 wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped\"><ul data-carousel-extra='{\"blog_id\":1,\"permalink\":\"https:\\\/\\\/psnp.info\\\/p4td_\\\/?p=14503\"}' class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4558-1.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-attachment-id=\"14500\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/?attachment_id=14500\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4558-1.jpg?fit=2000%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1125\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;COOLPIX B700&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1626950661&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;64.5&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0015625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"dscn4558-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4558-1.jpg?fit=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4558-1.jpg?fit=904%2C509&amp;ssl=1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"904\" height=\"509\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4558-1.jpg?resize=904%2C509&#038;ssl=1\" data-id=\"14500\" class=\"wp-image-14500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4558-1.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4558-1.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4558-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4558-1.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4558-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4558-1.jpg?resize=904%2C509&amp;ssl=1 904w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4558-1.jpg?w=1808&amp;ssl=1 1808w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 904px) 100vw, 904px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4562.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-attachment-id=\"14502\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/?attachment_id=14502\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4562.jpg?fit=2000%2C1352&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1352\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;COOLPIX B700&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1626950677&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;24.2&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;220&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0015625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"dscn4562\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4562.jpg?fit=300%2C203&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4562.jpg?fit=904%2C611&amp;ssl=1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"904\" height=\"611\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4562.jpg?resize=904%2C611&#038;ssl=1\" data-id=\"14502\" class=\"wp-image-14502\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4562.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4562.jpg?resize=300%2C203&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4562.jpg?resize=1024%2C692&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4562.jpg?resize=768%2C519&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4562.jpg?resize=1536%2C1038&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4562.jpg?resize=904%2C611&amp;ssl=1 904w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4562.jpg?w=1808&amp;ssl=1 1808w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 904px) 100vw, 904px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4565.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-attachment-id=\"14501\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/?attachment_id=14501\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4565.jpg?fit=2000%2C1667&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1667\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;COOLPIX B700&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1626950685&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;71.7&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;280&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0015625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"dscn4565\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4565.jpg?fit=300%2C250&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4565.jpg?fit=904%2C754&amp;ssl=1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"904\" height=\"753\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4565.jpg?resize=904%2C753&#038;ssl=1\" data-id=\"14501\" class=\"wp-image-14501\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4565.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4565.jpg?resize=300%2C250&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4565.jpg?resize=1024%2C854&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4565.jpg?resize=768%2C640&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4565.jpg?resize=1536%2C1280&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4565.jpg?resize=904%2C753&amp;ssl=1 904w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dscn4565.jpg?w=1808&amp;ssl=1 1808w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 904px) 100vw, 904px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Northern Black Racer: Kennebunk Plains, Kennebunk, Maine, USA \u2014 The Northern Black Racer reaches the northern limits of its range here in York County, Maine. It is on the Maine State Endangered Species List, and is a Species High Concern. There is a monitored population on the Kennebunk Plains Reserve, which is managed by the Nature Conservancy in cooperation with the state wildlife agency. It is, in fact, one of the species, along with the Northern Blazing Star plant, Upland Sandpiper, and Grasshopper Sparrow populations, and a few other endangered or threatened species, which prompted the Nature Conservancy, the Kennebunk Land Trust, and the state of Maine to preserve the Plains. Black Racers are not easy to see\u2026they are secretive and keep under cover much of their lives. Wildlife and Inland Fisheries has a radio tagging study on the Kennebunk Plains, and I have bumped into the researchers a few times. Even with radio tags the snakes are hard to find. I did not find this one. I just happened to be there when a gentleman\u2026and amateur herpetologist\u2026was releasing this snake where he had captured it the day before. He had taken it home to treat some wounds on its belly (perhaps from a hawk encounter) and to show it to his son, who had never seen one. I am not condoning this behavior\u2026it is both illegal and in my opinion unwise (especially when it comes to endangered species)\u2026something this gentleman was well aware of. To be fair, he was very conscientious about handling the snake with care\u2026and the snake did not seem to be any worse for the experience. And, since I don\u2019t go around turning over logs on the Plains (or anywhere for that matter) I would not have seen this snake any other way. (I have seen one Black Racer before on the Plains\u2026but that was a chance encounter\u2026and once out of many hundreds of visits to the Plains over the past 20 years.) This was not a big racer\u2026though compared to the size of the head (about the size of my thumb) it was a very long snake (likely five feet or more). Like most constrictors its body, with it smooth scales, just exudes power. And, once sure of its footing after release, it demonstrated how apt its name is by racing, about as fast as my eye could follow, for the deep cover of a low stand of dense brush. Nikon B700 at 370mm, 140mm, and 445mm to frame the snake. Shutter program at 1\/640th. ISO 220. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. <\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\"><div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing\"><h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this:<\/h3><div class=\"sd-content\"><ul><li class=\"share-twitter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-twitter-14503\" class=\"share-twitter sd-button share-icon\" href=\"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/?p=14503&amp;share=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-facebook\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-facebook-14503\" class=\"share-facebook sd-button share-icon\" href=\"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/?p=14503&amp;share=facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-email\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-email sd-button share-icon\" href=\"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/?p=14503&amp;share=email\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to email this to a friend\"><span>Email<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-end\"><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Northern Black Racer: Kennebunk Plains, Kennebunk, Maine, USA \u2014 The Northern Black Racer reaches the northern limits of its range here in York County, Maine. It is on the Maine State Endangered Species List, and is a Species High Concern. There is a monitored population on the Kennebunk Plains Reserve, which is managed by the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\"><div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing\"><h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this:<\/h3><div class=\"sd-content\"><ul><li class=\"share-twitter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-twitter-14503\" class=\"share-twitter sd-button share-icon\" href=\"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/?p=14503&amp;share=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-facebook\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-facebook-14503\" class=\"share-facebook sd-button share-icon\" href=\"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/?p=14503&amp;share=facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-email\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-email sd-button share-icon\" href=\"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/?p=14503&amp;share=email\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to email this to a friend\"><span>Email<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-end\"><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[6,243,57,305,341,214,96,118],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p26ui8-3LV","post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14503"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14503"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14503\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14503"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14503"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14503"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}