Species Type:
Common Name(s):
Eastern indigo snake
Size:
Eastern indigo snakes can reach 5-8.5 feet (1.5 - 2.5 meters) in length and averages at about 5 pounds (2.2 kilograms) in weight.
Diet:
As opportunistic feeders, the eastern indigo snake will eat almost anything it can overpower. This includes smaller snake species, birds, toads, frogs, turtles, lizards and even small alligators.
Range & Habitat:
These snakes inhabit many different types of ecosystems including pinewood forests, cypress swamps, wet prairies, tropical hammocks and hardwood forests throughout northern Florida and southeastern Georgia.
Details:
Eastern indigo snakes differ from other snake species in many ways, like utilizing their extremely powerful jaws to capture their prey, instead of constricting it. Moreover, they’re considered a late-maturing snake, reaching breeding age around 4-5 years old. They have smooth black or brown iridescent scales with a red-toned throat. When approached, eastern indigo snakes show little to no sign of hostility or aggression. On the International Union for Conservation’s Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN), eastern indigo snakes are labeled as Least Concern. However, they’re experiencing population decline due to habitat fragmentation.