Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon couperi)
I got to meet my dream snake today! This is a 3 footer that was friendly as can be and so beautiful, despite being in deep shed. She is a captive individual.
This is truly the king of North American snakes. In fact, their genus, Drymarchon, translates to "lord of the forest" in Greek. They have a small range in the Deep South in Fl, southern GA, and southern AL, and it's questionable whether they still roam in SC and MS. They are a species of huge decline because of pet collection, road mortality, killing, and most of all, habitat loss. The longleaf pine forest that they call home is an endangered habitat now, but conservation efforts are in full force to protect the remaining forests of its kind. Indigos rely on an unlikely friend to survive -gopher toroises! They live in the tortoises burrows, where they are protected from predators and forest fires, which run rampant in the dry pines. They are not constrictors nor are they venomous, yet they have been known to eat a plethora of different species, from rodents to small chelonians to hatchling gators! Instead of venom or constriction, indigo snakes rely on sheer power to kill their prey. Growing to almost 9 feet, this is the largest of the US snakes. They really are extraordinary in so many different ways, and i really hope to work with them at some time in the future!
Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon couperi)
I got to meet my dream snake today! This is a 3 footer that was friendly as can be and so beautiful, despite being in deep shed. She is a captive individual.
This is truly the king of North American snakes. In fact, their genus, Drymarchon, translates to "lord of the forest" in Greek. They have a small range in the Deep South in Fl, southern GA, and southern AL, and it's questionable whether they still roam in SC and MS. They are a species of huge decline because of pet collection, road mortality, killing, and most of all, habitat loss. The longleaf pine forest that they call home is an endangered habitat now, but conservation efforts are in full force to protect the remaining forests of its kind. Indigos rely on an unlikely friend to survive -gopher toroises! They live in the tortoises burrows, where they are protected from predators and forest fires, which run rampant in the dry pines. They are not constrictors nor are they venomous, yet they have been known to eat a plethora of different species, from rodents to small chelonians to hatchling gators! Instead of venom or constriction, indigo snakes rely on sheer power to kill their prey. Growing to almost 9 feet, this is the largest of the US snakes. They really are extraordinary in so many different ways, and i really hope to work with them at some time in the future!