Eastern Indigo Snake

The Eastern Indigo Snake is North America's longest native snake species, renowned for its iridescent blue-black sheen and impressive size. Historically found throughout the southeastern coastal plain, its range has contracted significantly and it is now a federally threatened species, closely tied to the presence of gopher tortoise burrows for winter shelter.

Despite its imposing size, this species is generally docile and non-venomous, relying on physical strength to subdue prey rather than constriction in the traditional sense, often pinning prey against the ground.

• Large, heavy-bodied snake with smooth, glossy scales
• Uniform iridescent blue-black to purplish-black dorsal coloration
• Chin, throat, and sometimes cheeks often washed with reddish-orange or cream
• Large, broad head not sharply distinct from a thick neck
• Round pupils; large eyes
• Distinguished from black racers by much greater bulk, glossier sheen, and reddish throat coloring

Inhabits sandhill scrub, pine flatwoods, hammocks, and agricultural edges, especially where gopher tortoise burrows are available for refuge during cold weather and droughts. Also uses floodplain forests and coastal dunes in warmer months, ranging widely across a large home range.

Diurnal and active, often seen moving across open ground in search of prey. Generally calm and rarely aggressive, though it may vibrate its tail or flatten its head when threatened. An active, wide-ranging predator that consumes a broad variety of prey including rodents, birds, frogs, other snakes (including venomous species), and small alligators. Breeding occurs in winter and spring, with females laying eggs in late spring.