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FastestThings

Snakes

Eastern racer

Animal Diversity Web says the racer's actual speed is about 4.0 mph (6.5 km/h), citing Harding 1997. That field-guide figure is the one that counts. It is not a filmed trial.

An eastern racer can travel about 4.0 mph (6.5 km/h), an estimate.

Also known as Coluber constrictor, racer
Post on X (opens in a new tab)

Top speed

Published as 6.5 km/hPublished as 6.5 km/hPublished as 6.5 km/h

Animal Diversity Web account of Coluber constrictor: actual speed about 4 mph (6.5 km/h), citing Harding 1997. The page calls that about a brisk walk. Qualifier estimated. Travel, not a strike, and not a filmed trial.

EstimatedAnimal Diversity Web (opens source in a new tab)

In context

  • 1.3× walking paceConstant · A typical walking pace, 5 km/h
  • 17% of Usain Bolt's 100 m world-record paceSourced · Usain Bolt, 100 m in 9.58 s. World Athletics, Berlin 2009. Averaged over the race
  • A football field in 51 sConstant · American football field, 100 yd (91.44 m)

Worked out from the sourced figure above, which stays the ranked number.

Quick answers

People also ask

How fast can an eastern racer travel?

An eastern racer can travel about 4.0 mph (6.5 km/h), an estimate.

Is that figure claimed or verified?

Eastern racer is labeled Estimated. Calculated or approximated rather than directly timed.

What is the source?

The figure cites Animal Diversity Web, “Coluber constrictor.”

Where does Eastern racer rank?

Eastern racer is 2nd of 7 on Fastest Snakes.

Mechanism

Why it's so fast

Animal Diversity Web says the racer's actual speed is about about 4.0 mph (6.5 km/h), citing Harding 1997. That field-guide figure is the one that counts. It is not a filmed trial.

Species
Coluber constrictor
Speed
about 4.0 mph (6.5 km/h)
Source
Harding 1997

  1. A field guide, not a camera

    Coluber constrictor is the eastern racer. Harding's about 4.0 mph (6.5 km/h) is what Animal Diversity Web says as the actual speed. The name is faster than the number. The page uses the number.

  2. Not a strike, and not the mamba

    4.0 mph (6.5 km/h) is locomotion, the body moving across the ground. The black mamba's ranked 9.9 mph (16 km/h) is a different source and a higher range. This entry does not borrow it. no film frame rate is given for the racer.

Provenance

Every measurement

Claimed, measured and official figures side by side, each with its source. The ranked figure is marked.

  1. 6.5km/h4.0mph1.8m/s3.5knRanked figure

    Animal Diversity Web account of Coluber constrictor: actual speed about 4 mph (6.5 km/h), citing Harding 1997. The page calls that about a brisk walk. Qualifier estimated. Travel, not a strike, and not a filmed trial.

    The citation on that sentence is Harding 1997. A strike speed is not on the page.

    Estimated
    Animal Diversity Web (opens source in a new tab)

Reference

Specs

Species
Coluber constrictor
Speed
about 4.0 mph (6.5 km/h)
Source
Harding 1997, via Animal Diversity Web

Context

Background

Animal Diversity Web says that despite the name, the racer's actual speed is about 4.0 mph (6.5 kilometers per hour), about 4 mph, or a brisk walk. The sentence cites Harding 1997, Amphibians and Reptiles of the Great Lakes Region. The figure is 4.0 mph (6.5 km/h), qualifier estimated, because the page gives it as about that speed.

The same paragraph says a startled racer flees to cover. That is travel. A strike is mentioned later as a cornered defense and is not given a speed, so no strike is given.

Head to head

Compare Eastern racer

Open the speed race

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