Drymarchon corais, or the Indigo snake, can be found in different parts of Mesoamerica and the southern US. They live in Gopher tortoise holes. They can be found in savannas, tropical rain forests, and deserts, as well as near rivers and in deciduous forests. Indigo snakes are considered a threatened species, as they are endangered in Texas. People will pour gases in their holes, trying to catch other snakes, and often wind up killing the Drymarchon corais.

 

Drymarchon corais eat insects, birds, fish, small mammals and reptiles, along with frogs. They will eat other snakes, pit vipers seeming to be their favorite. Drymarchon corais can be kept as a pet, so this diet makes it easier to feed than most snakes. Drymarchon corais is called the indigo snake, because of its bluish black color. The indigo snake also is known for the red stripes on its neckline. Some of the younger ones have stripes from head to tail, in much darker colors; this is more common in its subspecies black tail cribo.

 

Drymarchon corais are active during the day, normally foraging for food. It sleeps in burrows at night. If it is threatened or scared by anything it will make it’s neck go flat, shake it’s tail continuously, and hiss.

 

Author: Ashleigh W.

Published: 02/2010

 

Sources: http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/snakes/drycor.htm http://www.nearctica.com/herps/snakes/colubrid/Dcorais.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigo_snake

 

Photo Credit: Trisha Shears http://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EasternIndigo.jpg