Indigo Snake

Breeding:
Eastern form mates November to February. Deposits 5-12 leathery eggs, 3-4” long, April to May. Hatching 19-26” long appear late July to October. Texas form lies April to
May.

Habitat:
In southeast: pine woods, turkey oak, and palmetto stands near water, orange groves, and tropical hammocks; in Texas: dry grassland and thickets near ponds and rivers.

Range:
Se. Georgia through Florida Keys; scattered populations in Florida panhandle; formerly
in s. Alabama. Also, Texas south to Argentina.

Subspecies:
Eastern, body uniformly shiny blue-black; se. Georgia and Florida. Not a constrictor, the Indigo immobilizes food with its jaws. It feeds on frogs, small mammals and birds, other snakes – including venoms one – lizards, and young turtles. When disturbed, it hisses, vibrates it tail, and flattens its neck. The Eastern Indigo Snake is vanishing in the wild. Habitat destruction, commercial collecting, and the practice of gassing tortoise burrows- the Indigo’s favorite retreat – have drastically reduced it numbers. It is protected by law. Long-lived; one captive lived nearly 26 years.