A North American Racer showed up in my Arkansas yard the afternoon after I watched a large ratsnake move through. I might have missed this one if a Northern Mockingbird had not given it away.
I had just written about a ratsnake moving through my yard in Arkansas. The very next afternoon brought another snake encounter.
North American Racer in My Arkansas Yard
I was sitting at my desk when I saw a Northern Mockingbird outside the window. It was attacking something moving through the grass.
At first, I thought I was seeing another ratsnake. That made sense because I had just watched a large ratsnake move through my yard the day before.
After I shared the photos, a Facebook friend advised me that this snake was a North American Racer. I appreciated the correction because I still have trouble telling these two snakes apart.
I wrote about this same problem several years ago in a post on whether a snake was a North American Racer or a rat snake. This encounter proved I still need that reminder myself.
This racer was much smaller than the ratsnake from the day before. The ratsnake looked close to 6 feet long. This racer looked closer to 3 feet.
The dark body and clean look at the head helped separate it from the ratsnake once I studied the photos more closely.
A Northern Mockingbird Gave Away the Racer Snake
The Northern Mockingbird stayed focused on the racer as it moved through the grass. That bird was the only reason I noticed the snake.
The ratsnake from the day before slipped through without the birds giving it away. This racer did not get the same quiet treatment.
Mockingbirds can be bold around anything they see as a threat near their territory. In this case, the bird kept after the snake long enough for me to grab my camera.
The racer lifted its head above the grass for a moment. That gave me a clean look at its face and dark body before the scene changed.
Photographing the North American Racer Before It Slipped Away
I grabbed my camera, went outside, and made a few quick photos before the moment passed. I did not have much time to plan the shot.
I photographed the second image hand-held with the Canon EOS R5 Mark 2 and the Canon RF 200-800mm lens.
Camera settings for Photo 2:
- Camera: Canon EOS R5 Mark 2
- Lens: Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM
- Focal length: 800 mm
- Aperture: f/10
- Shutter speed: 1/1000 second
- ISO: 1000
- Exposure compensation: -1/3
- Support: Hand-held
- Date and Time: April 26, 2026, at 02:11 P.M.
Two snake sightings in two afternoons made for an interesting stretch around my yard. One was a large ratsnake moving quietly through. The next was a smaller North American Racer that got exposed by a very determined Mockingbird.