The Texas Indigo Snake (Drymarchon melanurus erebennus) is a fascinating and ecologically important reptile native to South Texas and Northern Mexico. As a subspecies of the larger Drymarchon melanurus, this nonvenomous snake plays a vital role in its ecosystem, particularly in controlling populations of venomous snakes and rodents. This article delves into the Texas Indigo Snake's physical characteristics, habitat preferences, dietary habits, and conservation status.
Physical Characteristics
The Texas Indigo Snake is a large-bodied, nonvenomous snake with a striking appearance. Its smooth scales exhibit a remarkable iridescent hue, giving it a high sheen. Dorsally, it is predominantly black in color, while its underside often displays a salmon-pink hue, becoming more cream-colored towards the throat and more blue-black towards the tail. Black vertical bars extend from under the eyes down to the labial (lip) scales.
These snakes regularly attain a total length (including the tail) beyond 6 feet (1.8 m), with hatchlings measuring up to 26 inches (66 cm) long. While there have been unverified sightings of Texas Indigo Snakes reaching nearly 10 feet long, they're not verified.
Unlike many other large, heavy-bodied snakes, the Texas Indigo Snake is not a constrictor. Instead, it uses its strong jaws to grasp and hold prey, immobilizing it by holding it beneath a coil.
Habitat and Distribution
The Texas Indigo Snake's range includes southern Texas and northern Mexico, as far south as Veracruz. They are commonly found in grasslands, brush, or forested areas near permanent water sources. They prefer lightly vegetated areas not far from permanent water sources but can also be found in mesquite savannah, open grassland areas, and coastal sand dunes.
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These snakes spend their downtime in abandoned burrows and underneath logs and other large items that provide adequate hiding places. However, they are active hunters and spend most of their time hunting during the day.
Diet and Hunting Behavior
The Texas Indigo Snake is a carnivorous and opportunistic predator. It will consume almost anything it can overpower and swallow, including mammals, birds, lizards, frogs, turtles, eggs, and other snakes. They’re really not all that picky. Their diet also includes non-venomous snakes such as coachwhips.
Texas indigo snakes are active daytime hunters. They generally flush out prey then chase it down to overpower it. They use their physical mass and strength to hold it down against a hard surface to subdue it.
They are particularly known for their aggressive attacks on rattlesnakes, making them a valuable asset to farmers and ranchers in southern Texas. This has led to the popular adage, "If it's an indigo, let it go."
A Texas indigo snake will eat nearly anything it can overpower using its size and strength. Using their strong jaws, they hold it by the head and often push their prey against a hard surface (ground, rock, etc).
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Behavior and Temperament
The Texas Indigo Snake is diurnal, meaning it is most active during the day. They spend a significant portion of their time actively hunting. Despite their size and predatory nature, they are not typically aggressive snakes. However, they may bite or release a foul-smelling musk from their cloaca if handled or harassed.
Texas Indigo Snakes are well known as rattlesnake control and loved by Texas farmers and ranchers. They are not aggressive, and as a result, are easy to observe from a respectful distance. Texas Indigo Snakes are popular pets because of their beauty and their easy-going attitude. These snakes were respected in southern Texas as rodent and rattlesnake control. So much so that many families kept them as pets around the yard to keep rodents and venomous snakes away. Even now, they’re popular pets because of their beauty and their easy-going attitude.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Breeding of Texas Indigo Snakes generally occurs yearly in the winter. Clutches that average 10-12 eggs are laid in the spring, typically in an abandoned burrow. The eggs hatch around 80 days later. Hatchlings can be up to 26 inches (66 cm) long and appear in the summer.
Conservation Status and Threats
The Texas Indigo Snake is listed as a threatened species by the state of Texas. Its primary threat is habitat loss due to human development. Each snake requires a large home range to forage, and urban sprawl is shrinking its usable habitat.
For such a popular and well-loved snake, there’s a surprising lack of formal research into their population numbers, and stability and lifespan in the wild. We don’t have an accurate population estimate, and we can guess that in the wild they might live about 9 years. However, Texas indigo snakes still face challenges due to human encroachment. Each individual needs a large territory in which to thrive but is fairly flexible as long as there is a permanent water source nearby. They tend to favor somewhat dry grasslands and scrub brush.
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They are frequently run over by vehicles when crossing the road.
Relationship with Humans
Because of its aggressive attacks on rattlesnakes, many farmers in South Texas consider it a useful ally, hence the adage, "If it's an indigo, let it go." They’re very popular in southern/central Texas where they primarily live.
Texas indigo snakes are supremely helpful and feed on many of the animals that humans find a nuisance or, in the case of venomous snakes, dangerous.
Texas Indigo Snakes are well known as rattlesnake control and loved by Texas farmers and ranchers. They are not aggressive, and as a result, are easy to observe from a respectful distance. Texas Indigo Snakes are popular pets because of their beauty and their easy-going attitude. These snakes were respected in southern Texas as rodent and rattlesnake control. So much so that many families kept them as pets around the yard to keep rodents and venomous snakes away. Even now, they’re popular pets because of their beauty and their easy-going attitude.
Evolutionary History
Like other snake species, the Texas Indigo Snake’s predecessors were also reptiles but they had legs. These animals were more aquatic-based. Snakes either lost their legs or became vestigial, as snakes relied on them less and less. It is interesting to imagine animals evolving to have legs and then evolving to lose them! These particular snakes adapted to being very good at killing other snakes and other smaller animals. In the wild, competition from other species leads to a few different outcomes over a long period of time. Extinction happens when an animal species is not able to adapt and overcome said competition.