Proper caution should be taken to prevent oversaturating the substrate. A properly hydrated snake will be much less likely to retain eye caps and tail tips while shedding. Instead, they are pressed against stationary structures like burrow or tunnel walls. It is not uncommon for an indigo to lunge out of a cage with a gaping mouth. Eastern indigo snakes are one of the largest North American snakes, reaching lengths of 5-7 feet. The common black racer is a slender, fast moving snake. Most keepers recommend 1.8 x 0.6 x 0.6 meters (6 x 2 x 2 feet) cages as the minimum size to house a full-grown adult drymarchon. Eastern indigo snakes are the largest native non-venomous snake in the United States. Close examination is required to tell them apart. At the Smithsonian's National Zoo, these snakes eat birds, fish and rodents. Description: The eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi) is a massive, black snake. A keeper should always be extremely cautious when opening cages around feeding time. The appetite of some adult drymarchon can fluctuate seasonally. Unfortunately, this staple reptile’s survival is at risk, especially in Alabama. Description: The eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi) is a massive, black snake. We're excited to welcome you back to the Zoo, and we've made a few changes. Habitat loss and deforestation are this species' primary threats. Additional threats include over-collection for the pet trade, habitat fragmentation and mortalities as an indirect consequence of the gassing of gopher tortoise burrows by rattlesnake collectors. The longest this species has survived in human care is 25 years and 11 months. Their conservation status is of concern because their preferred habitat, the longleaf pine forest, has been heavily fragmented by agricultural and logging practices. No matter what substrate you choose to use, the reality is that drymarchon keepers probably end up cleaning cages more often than most other keepers. Never release animals that have been kept as pets into the wild. Today it is known only to naturally occur in southern Georgia and Florida. Habitat:   A clean cage is essential for any reptile’s overall health. This is important for their breeding cycles. The indigo snake is a large glossy blue-black snake reaching lengths of up to 9 feet. Don’t assume it is a venomous species, and don’t attack it if it doesn’t pose a threat to your safety. Beyond construction of a nest, or simply laying the eggs in an unused arm of a gopher tortoise burrow, there is no parental care. Others opt for highly absorbent substrates which hopefully allow them to not have to clean after every defecation. This snake's large, smooth scales are uniformly glossy black, with red or cream colored accents possible around the chin, throat and sometimes the cheeks. Eastern indigo snakes are protected at the state level in Alabama and have full protection as a threatened species in Florida and Georgia. comm. Educational Activities You Can Do at Home, About the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. They eat a wide variety of animals, including small mammals, birds, frogs, turtles, turtle eggs and other snakes — even venomous species like cotton mouths and rattlesnakes. The largest individual recorded was eight-and-a-half-feet. Breeding season occurs between October and February. One potential measure of the health and recovery of this species is the presence of gopher tortoises. In the wild, these guys will eat just about anything they can overpower. Some keepers provide this humidity by providing a substrate that holds moisture well like peat moss and misting it daily. Eastern Indigo Snake permit? Indigo snakes are heavily reliant on longleaf pine ecosystems in the southeastern U.S. Their habitat specialization and their need for very large expanses of undisturbed habitat have vastly reduced their numbers in most areas of their range. share. The snake needs to feel secure in each hide spot. Temps on the cool side of the cage should never exceed 28ºC (82 ºF). Additionally, eastern indigo snakes in institutions accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums are managed under a Species Survival Plan. Drymarchon are very sensitive to high temperatures, and novice keepers often accidentally kill snakes by mismanaging cage temps. The greatest threats to the snake are loss of habitat, the practice of putting gas down a burrow by rattlesnake hunters, and the pet trade. They sometimes seek shelter underground due to temperature changes. Many use newspaper and have resigned themselves to frequent cage cleanings. This restricted habitat is even more isolated by the snakes preference for the interspersion of wet lowlands like ty ty swamps  and cypress ponds. Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute 3001 Connecticut Ave., NW Washington, DC 20008, PO Box 37012 They literally will eat any animal that they can overpower and consume, including large insects, small turtles, and every variety of other reptile or bird, mammal, amphibian and fish. Recent reports may be from several experimental introductions in late 1970s and 1980s. I've never owned an animal that required a permit so I'm kinda lost. The Eastern Indigo Snake is a large nonpoisonous, stout bodied snake averaging six to seven feet in length. The eastern indigo snake is an icon of the southern longleaf pine forest and is the longest native snake on the continent. Allowing the snakes to thermoregulate themselves most accurately mimics their natural behavior in the wild; the trick is to provide the correct temperatures at both ends of the cage. Drymarchon need to have some amount of humidity in their cage. Eastern indigo snakes are one of more than 200 species that inhabit tortoise burrows. Native to the southeastern United States, eastern indigo snakes occur primarily throughout the peninsula of Florida into parts of southern Georgia, Alabama and a small portion of southeast Mississippi. Rather than relying on constriction to disable their wide variety of prey items, they simply overpower their prey with their muscular jaws and swallow it whole.

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