![]() Did you notice the difference in the names? Our Indigo, apparently Drymarchon melanurus erebennus, was not listed. So, in an abundance of caution I also checked the US Fish & Wildlife Service where, lo and behold, I found the Eastern indigo snake ( Drymarchon corais couperi) listed (see ). As you’ll see later in this blog, the text is wrong on a couple of points and it might have been corrected.) It is listed as threatened in Texas and cannot be hunted or killed.” (As an aside, below that paragraph are some cool photos of an Indigo eating a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake ( Crotalus atrox).) (Another aside: If you are reading this a while from the time that I published it, the text may have changed. Guess what it said?!?! (If you go to the above link, you’ll have to scroll down a bit to see it) “The Texas indigo snake, Drymarchon melanurus erebennus, is a subspecies of the Eastern indigo snake. Then, I went to another Texas Parks & Wildlife page: Here’s a link to the listing, check it yourself: ![]() First, I searched the Texas Parks and Wildlife website and didn’t find the Texas Indigo Snake listed as either threatened or endangered. ![]() I, too, thought it was considered threatened by both the State of Texas and the US Government. They are non-venomous and have been declared as a threatened species by the US state of Texas.” Note the “threatened” status. Many online resources say something similar to what says, “Found in Texas and almost everywhere in Mexico, the Texas Indigo Snake is a large size snake that is a member of the colubrid family. But first:Ī DISCLAIMER (well…maybe, you’ll have to read more to find out what is it)! “One by one, these snakes were struck by vehicles until the populations could no longer sustain themselves.Photo: The head of a large Texas Indigo Snake ( ( Drymarchon melanurus erebennus).Īfter at least 50 years, I finally once again saw a Texas Indigo Snake ( Drymarchon melanurus erebennus) on our farm. “Roads are serious obstacles for these large snakes to traverse multiple times a day,” he said. Lechowicz explained that Sanibel is not suitable for Eastern indigo snakes because of heavy traffic on busy roadways. The last verified wild Eastern indigo snake on Sanibel was run over by a bicycle in 1999. These snakes have been protected from harassment or taking in Florida since 1971, and have been listed as a threatened and protected species by the U.S. “Despite their dominance over other snakes, they have the reputation for being amenable toward humans and seem to not have much fear of people,” said SCCF Wildlife & Habitat Management Director Chris Lechowicz. The genus Drymarchon literally means “ruler of the forest,” because of their size and proclivity to eating other snakes, even venomous snakes. ![]() the record was just over 9 feet! The average length is typically 5 to 6.5 feet. Black racers are more nervous and less tolerant of human interference, and will typically dart at the first opportunity.Įastern indigo snakes are considered the longest native snake found in the U.S. However, the average size of Southern black racers on the islands is 2.5 to 3.5 feet, and they are much thinner than Eastern indigos. ![]() The most common snake on the island and in South Florida, the Southern Black Racer ( Coluber constrictor), is often mistaken for the Eastern indigo snake simply because they are black. ![]()
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