What does a baby black snake look like?

A baby black snake, or baby black racer snake, looks very different from the adult of the species. It has light-colored spots that darken as the snake matures. Eventually, it looks completely black in color.

Baby black racer snakes rely on their spotted patterns to camouflage them when they first hatch. Since the mother snake does not tend to her young once she lays her eggs, the newly hatched babies must fend for themselves. Young black racers eat insects and small prey. Black racer snakes lay five to 30 eggs at a time, and the survival rate for baby black racer snakes is only about 40 percent.