Saving the blue racer

Blue racers are endangered in Canada and are sadly now only to be found on Pelee Island in Ontario. They are one of the largest snake species in Canada and, true to their name, can move up to speeds of 7 kilometres per hour. A large-scale collaborative effort to save Canada’s only blue snake is underway. WPC is working with a number of partners to better understand the threats to blue racer to conserve this beautiful species. Habitat loss threatens the remaining population of blue racers in Canada, but fortunately there are ways to restore habitat for racers and other wildlife that use the same mixed grassland/forest habitats. Hibernation sites and nesting structures have been created and we will continue to restore habitat for blue racer, and other grassland reliant species with a strong network of partners including Parks Canada, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ontario Nature, the University of Toronto, Scales Nature Park, and Natural Resource Solutions Inc.

A major part of ongoing research will be to evaluate current and past efforts and encourage other organizations and private landowners to restore optimal habitat for blue racers on their properties. At the same time, this coalition of experts will be working together to learn more about the threats facing blue racers and carrying out actions to help them. These include: