The eastern indigo snake is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
The non-venomous snake is docile, and it’s making a comeback thanks to folks at The Nature Conservancy in Florida. We talk about their efforts on Speaking Of.
They’ve been releasing dozens of snakes annually since 2017 hoping to get the population booming again. The next release happens on April 29.
"This is an untested process for this particular species," says Preserve Manager Catherine Ricketts with The Nature Conservancy’s Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve.
"Reintroductions of other endangered animals have occurred across the nation over the years, so there is a foundation for this type of process." Of course, there are no guarantees.
These snakes could be confused with the non-venomous southern black racer, which are common in our area. But racers are a matte black, unlike the "amazingly beautiful" indigo snakes.
"They're a glossy black color. Under their chin and along their lower jaw they have this kind of rusty orange pattern of scales," Ricketts says.
The light blue-gray on their belly "really lets this iridescent indigo color shine. You can see it on their backs as well," Ricketts says. "It's just a beautiful, glossy black snake with this iridescent indigo kind of overtone to it."
The eastern indigo snake is native to the southeastern United States. It's the longest native snake in North America, reaching eight feet long. It's also an apex predator that will eat venomous snakes. It can often be found sheltering in gopher tortoise burrows.
"It is a striking animal," Ricketts says.
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