1/17/2024 0 Comments Blue indigo snake habitatOther communities include longleaf pine-turkey oak ( Q. These communities are primarily scrub oak-longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris) with occasional live oak ( Quercus virginiana), laurel oak ( Q. The eastern indigo snake is most abundant in the sandhill plant communities of Florida and Georgia. From December to April, eastern indigo snakes prefer sandhill habitats from May to July the snakes shift from winter dens to summer territories from August through November they are located more frequently in shady creek bottoms than during other seasons. Xeric slash pine plantations seem to be preferred over undisturbed longleaf pine habitats. In Georgia, the eastern indigo snake prefers excessively drained, deep sandy soils along major streams, as well as xeric sandridge habitats. The eastern indigo snake frequents flatwoods, hammocks, dry glades, stream bottoms, cane fields, riparian thickets, and high ground with well-drained, sandy soils. The 10-year program is a collaborative effort between the Florida Wildlife Commission and private partners. 20 more snakes were released in 2018, and another 15 (10 female and 5 male) in 2019. The eastern indigo snake was last observed at ABRP in 1982, until 2017 when 12 snakes were released as part of the program. A restoration program is currently underway at Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve (ABRP) in northern Florida. The eastern indigo snake was largely eliminated from northern Florida due to habitat loss and fragmentation. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has listed the species as possibly extirpated within the state. Conservation statusīecause of habitat loss, the eastern indigo snake is listed as a federally threatened species in Georgia and Florida. A related species, the Texas indigo snake (Drymarchon melanurus erebennus), is found in southern Texas and Mexico. Their historic range extended into Louisiana. The eastern indigo snake ranges from extreme southwestern South Carolina south through Florida and west to southern Alabama and southeastern Mississippi. The eastern indigo snake has a number of common names including indigo, blue indigo snake, black snake, blue gopher snake, and blue bull snake. Couper brought Holbrook the type specimen from south of the Altamaha River in Wayne County, Georgia. The specific name is a latinization of the surname of American planter James Hamilton Couper (1794-1866). It is composed of the Greek words drymos (Δρυμός), meaning "forest", and archon (ἄρχων), meaning "lord" or "ruler". The generic name, Drymarchon, roughly translates to "lord of the forest". For many years the genus Drymarchon was considered monotypic with one species, Drymarchon corais, with 12 subspecies, until the early 1990s when Drymarchon corais couperi was elevated to full species status according to the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, in their official names list. The eastern indigo snake was first described by John Edwards Holbrook in 1842. Although the indigo snake is similar in average body mass, extremely large specimens of the bulky, co-occurring venomous eastern diamondback rattlesnake can outweigh them. In specimens over 2.6 m (8.5 ft), these snakes can weigh up to 5 kg (11 lb). Unlike many snakes, mature male indigo snakes are slightly larger than females. The longest recorded specimen measured 2.8 m (9.2 ft) in total length (including tail). This smooth-scaled snake is considered to be the longest native snake species in the United States and all of North America. This snake received its common name from the glossy iridescent ventral scales which can be seen as blackish-purple in bright light. The eastern indigo snake has uniform blue-black dorsal and lateral scales, with some specimens having a reddish-orange to tan color on the throat, cheeks, and chin. It is the longest native snake species in North America. The species is native to the southeastern United States. The eastern indigo snake ( Drymarchon couperi) is a species of large, non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae.
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