M A N A G E M E N T N O T E S F O R :

F W C L A N D O W N E R A S S I S T A N C E P R O G R A M

Guidelines

Quick notes:

EA

ST

ER

N I

ND

IG

O S

NA

KE

WI

LD

LI

FE

S

PE

CI

ES

MA

NA

GE

ME

NT

NO

TE

S

Select black-ring

oval, go to format/

auto-shape/color

and lines/color/fill

effects/picture

tab/ browse and

select a picture

from a file to fill

the oval The Eastern Indigo Snake,

Drymarchon couperi, is federally

listed as a threatened species and is

the largest native snake in North

America capable of reaching 9 feet in

length. Its scientific name,

Drymarchon comes from the Greek

and means “forest ruler”.

DISTRIBUTION & HABITAT

Today viable populations are only

found in SE Georgia and the Florida

Peninsula. Historically it was found

throughout the Coastal Plain of Geor-

gia, Florida, Alabama, and SE Missis-

sippi. The species requires extensive

unbroken tracts of habitat. Recent

radio-telemetry studies in SE Georgia

indicate home ranges of male East-

ern Indigo Snakes (Indigo) may en-

compass over 3,000 acres; one

snake travelled over 13 miles! The

species is closely tied to longleaf

pine ecosystems that are populated

with gopher tortoises. In the Florida

peninsula, due to infrequent cold

weather, the species utilizes a wider

variety of habitat including sandhills,

pine flatwoods, dry prairie, coastal

dunes, agricultural fields and saw-

grass. A recent US Fish and Wildlife

Service report suggests the species

has all but disappeared with only a

handful of confirmed sightings over

the past two decades from the Flor-

ida Panhandle, even though large

well-managed suitable tracts of state

and federal conservation lands exist.

However, robust tortoise populations

on these lands are missing. The

species has declined due to the

severe loss and alteration of the

longleaf pine ecosystem and key-

stone species such as the gopher

tortoise. In decades past, before

receiving federal protection, the

Indigo was killed by people, widely

collected for the pet trade and circus

shows, and more recently suffered

from the deleterious effects of gas-

sing gopher tortoise burrows in order

to collect eastern diamondback

rattlesnakes for roundups. Gassing

of burrows is prohibited in Georgia,

Florida and Alabama and carries a

fine and possible jail time.

IDENTIFICATION

The Indigo is a harmless and non-

venomous species and it is most

easily recognized by the lustrous,

iridescent blue-black coloration of

the body and head. Many individu-

als may have reddish-orange or

cream coloration on the throat,

cheeks or chin. The scales covering

the body are smooth. Body length

(avg. 6 - 6.5 feet) & wide girth in

conjunction with its habit of moving

slowly and deliberately help distin-

guish it from other “black” snakes.

Perhaps the species to be mistaken

most often is the black racer, which

is common throughout the south-

eastern U.S. in nearly every habitat;

although it may reach 6 feet in

Eastern

Indigo

Snakes are

federally

threatened

and occur in

FL and GA.

Eastern

Indigo

Snakes are

the largest

native snake

in North

America

capable of

reaching 9

feet in length.

Eastern

Indigo

Snakes can

eat venomous

snakes.

A single

Eastern

Indigo Snake

may use over

3000 acres to

meet its

needs.

Eastern

Indigo

Snakes for-

age in wood-

lands and

creek bot-

toms in the

summer and

winter inside

tortoise

burrows in

sandhills.

E A S T E R N I N D I G O S N A K E

length, it is very thin, has an entirely white

chin, is dull black in color, and moves very

rapidly. Other confusing species include a)

eastern kingsnake, aka chain king, but is

easily distinguished by having creamy yellow

bands around a black body; b) eastern hog-

nose which is a much shorter and chunkier

snake (avg 3 feet), may or may not be black,

and is known for playing dead; c) eastern

coachwhip which may reach 8 feet in length

(avg 5 feet) but which has a bi-colored body

with black head, neck, and anterior portion

of the body with the remainder of the body

being tan or brown; and d) the very rare

black pine snake which only occurs in ex-

treme SW Alabama and adjacent SE Missis-

sippi but which is dull black in coloration and

has a keel down the center of each scale. It

is important to keep in mind if you see a

snake and are unsure of its identification to

remain calm and leave the snake alone– the

vast majority of snake bites occur when a

snake is cornered or molested.

BIOLOGY

Indigos are most active during the day but

may retreat to underground animals burrows

(especially gopher tortoise) for nesting, for-

aging or shedding. Indigos are not constric-

T H E S C I E N T I F I C N A M E D R Y M A R C H O N M E A N S “ F O R E S T R U L E R ”

tors but instead use their large size and

powerful jaws to overpower prey by seizing

the head and chewing until the animal is

subdued. Despite being powerful predators,

Indigos are docile and seldom bite humans.

Indigos have a very broad diet which in-

cludes birds, small mammals, lizards, tur-

tles, and snakes including all 6 venomous

species. Indigos breed from October - Feb-

ruary with a single clutch of 4 - 12 eggs laid

in May or June. Young indigos are about 16

inches long and hatch 3 months after the

eggs are laid. Because of their large body

size and affinity for spending the winter in

tortoise burrows, Indigo surveys are often

conducted in late winter and early spring

when the snakes are more likely to be bask-

ing or warming at the entrance of tortoise

burrows.

dation and destruction resulting

from fire suppression, and devel-

opment, which often eliminates

suitable winter refuges since

developers prefer to build on dry

sandy soils. Fragmentation asso-

ciated with development results in

road mortality, and is a growing

problem in Florida. It is critical

that we preserve existing longleaf

forests and restore longleaf pine

where appropriate if we want to

maintain indigo snakes and a

suite of other piney woods wildlife

such as bobwhite quail, wild tur-

key, gopher tortoises, and fox

squirrels as part of our cultural

heritage. If you are actively restor-

ing longleaf pine or have an inter-

est in doing so, please contact the

FWC Landowner Assistance Pro-

MANAGEMENT NEEDS

Because Indigos are closely tied

to longleaf pine forests and go-

pher tortoises, the frequent use of

prescribed fire (1 - 4 years), pref-

erably in the growing season (April

- September) is essential to main-

taining habitat. Protection and

enhancement or gopher tortoise

habitat may be achieved through

the use of prescribed fire, under-

story restoration, mechanical or

chemical reduction in understory

shrubs as well as reducing hard-

woods in the canopy and by thin-

ning overstocked pine stands.

One of the greatest threats for

Indigos, with their large home

range and specific habitat require-

ments, is continued habitat degra-

gram at your regional office and

inquire about cost-share assis-

tance programs. If you believe

you have seen an Indigo in the

Florida Panhandle please report

the sighting to the Regional FWC

Office in Panama City.

RESTORATION & A NEW HORIZON

Unfortunately for several reasons

already addressed, the Indigo is

considered extirpated or extinct in

Alabama & Mississippi and barely

persists in SW Georgia & the

Florida Panhandle. However,

several years ago a wealthy pri-

vate citizen formed a non-profit

organization, The Orianne Society,

specifically with the goal of con-

serving and restoring Indigo habi-

tat and creating a genetically

diverse breeding stock for reintro-

duction into the wild. Land with

healthy populations of indigos has

been purchased in Georgia and

generous habitat restoration

grants have been issued in FL.

The first reintroduction efforts

begin in Conecuh National Forest

in May 2010 and as of Aug 2011,

48 snakes have been released; it

will be another year or two before

we know the full results but so far

the results are encouraging and

snakes are establishing territo-

ries, feeding and attempting re-

production. Once researchers

determine a reproductive popula-

tion is established, reintroduction

efforts will proceed at multiple

sites in the Florida Panhandle.

For more information on Eastern Indigo

snakes visit these sites:

www.oriannesociety.org

http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/snakes/drycou.htm

http://www.alaparc.org/Outreach/Fact_Sheets.html

Contact a Private Lands Biologist

FWC Regional Offices

Northwest Region

Panama City 850-265-3676

North Central Region

Lake City 386-758-0525

Northeast Region

Ocala 352-732-1225

Southwest Region

Lakeland 863-625-5122

South Region

West Palm Beach 561-625-5122