4/7/2023 0 Comments Eastern indigo snake![]() ![]() ![]() Males defend territories, and encounters with other males may result in fierce combat and potential cannibalism. Females are capable of storing sperm at least four years for future fertilization. Breeding occurs from November until April, and females typically lay 5-10 eggs during May or June these are often placed in the moist sand of tortoise burrows. However, they become relatively concentrated on upland sand ridges once winter approaches. Indigos utilize a very large area, up to or exceeding 800 hectares (2000 acres), during this period. During the warmer months, daylight hours are often spent foraging on the edge of wetlands where frogs and other snakes are typically abundant. Indigo snakes utilize a variety of habitat types during the course of the year. Since indigo snakes are not constrictors, their prey is usually eaten alive. DietĪ wide variety of vertebrate prey including birds, small mammals, fishes, frogs, small turtles, lizards and snakes (including venomous snakes). Floodplains or the periphery of cypress ponds, either adjacent to or interspersed within the sandy uplands, are used during the warmer months. Within the Altamaha Grit areas of Georgia, fissures within sandstone outcroppings often prove suitable for shelters. Stump holes and gopher tortoise burrows provide winter retreats. Though present in a wide variety of habitat types in peninsular Florida, indigo snakes in Georgia are closely associated with longleaf pine habitats, such as sandhills and turkey oak scrub. The range of the black rat snake does not overlap with that of the eastern indigo snake. Indigo snakes may be confused with black racers, which differ by having a white cheek patch, dull black coloration, a much more slender body, and a divided anal scale. The scales are large, shiny, and for the most part smooth, though scales on several middorsal rows of mature males are partially keeled. Coloration is iridescent blue-black throughout, except on the chin, throat, and cheeks, which are usually reddish or occasionally cream-colored. The head of this stout snake is only slightly distinct from the neck. ![]() The eastern indigo snake reaches a maximum total length of 2.63 m (about 8½ feet), making it the longest snake in North America. ![]()
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