KENNEBUNK (AP) – State biologists are using small radio transmitters in an effort to learn more about a snake that is on Maine’s endangered species list.

Jonathan Mays, a biologist with the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, implanted a transmitter Friday into the midsection of a 5-foot-long black racer, which is known for its fast moves, sharp teeth and shy disposition. He then released it in a sand pit so it could slither back into the woods.

The snake released Friday was the second of eight the state hopes to implant with transponders, if that many can be found. It took 130 hours to find the first “volunteer,” which was released on Wednesday, Mays said.

“They’re extremely fast,” he said.

The $30,000 tracking project, which is funded with grant money, aims to learn more about the snake’s local range and preferred terrain while giving biologists a chance to watch the animals. Biologists now don’t even know where the snakes hibernate, Mays said.

Found widely in the United States, the black racer has been on the state’s endangered species list since 1986. It was common as far north as Augusta in the 1930s, but is now found only in York, Cumberland and southern Oxford counties.

The snake, the largest found in Maine, is black to bluish-black with a white chin, neck and throat and a gray underside. It is typically 3 to 6 feet long and will shake its tail like a rattlesnake to lure predators to that end of its body, Mays said.

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife assesses construction sites where black racers are spotted, said spokesman Mark Latti. The tracking project will help biologists protect the species and make more informed decisions about development, he said.