Drymarchon corias couperi
- The Eastern Indigo is the largest snake native to the United States. It has been on the Endangered Species list since 1978 due to destruction of habitat. It's range of Florida, Georgia, southern Alabama and Mississippi, plus the eastern edge of South Carolina has been developed greatly in the past forty years, leaving these large, calm colubrids struggling to survive.
The food prey of Eastern Indigos includes other snakes (venomous also), frogs, toads, occasionally birds, and small mammals. It is not a constrictor and merely holds on to its prey with its powerful jaws. These are very active snakes and are as likely to be out during the day as at night.
Breeding takes place in mid-winter, with 6-10 eggs being laid in late spring. Babies hatch at close to a foot long and may reach maturity in 3 years. The largest Eastern Indigo measured nearly nine feet in length; a more common size is six feet.
It is illegal to own Eastern Indigos in a handful of states. A federal permit is required to transport them across state line. States may have laws of their own pertaining to the ownership of these endangered snakes.
All photos on this page are © by Dean Alessandrini and are used with permission.Go to Indigo Snake.com for more info on this beautiful species!
