Snakes are vilified, but they are an important part of the ecosystem, explained Danielle Walkup, NRI research scientist.
Summer home ranges for indigo snakes can be as large as 273 acres (110 hectares). The Texas A&M University Natural Resources Institute, NRI, a unit of Texas A&M AgriLife, has been doing a lot of work researching three unique snakes the Louisiana pinesnake, the eastern indigo and the massasauga rattlesnake. There are five recognised subspecies (Uetz et al., 2019) of which the Texas Indigo Snake Drymarchon melanurus erebennus (Cope, 1861) is found in Texas in the USA as well as in eastern Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, northern Hidalgo, northern Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, and northern Veracruz in Mexico (Smith, 1941 as Drymarchon cora. These piles are often destroyed for cosmetic reasons but should be left intact because they provide important hiding cover for both the snake and its prey. Eastern indigo snakes heavily use debris piles left from site-preparation operations on tree plantations. Eastern indigo snakes may even cohabit with gopher tortoises in their burrows, although snakes will settle for armadillo holes, hollow logs, and debris piles when they can't find gopher tortoise burrows. The Indigo became federally protected in 1978. With a glossy, iridescent, blue-black coloration of the head and body, they may have red, reddish-orange, or cream coloration on the chin or throat area. In winter, they den in gopher tortoise burrows, which are usually found in open pine forests with dense herbaceous understories. In both length and weight, the Indigo Snake is one of the largest species of harmless snakes in the state of Texas. From the spring through fall, snakes must be able to travel from sandhill communities and upland pine-hardwood communities to creek bottoms and agricultural fields. Because the cover requirements of these snakes change seasonally, they maintain corridors that link these different habitats. JReptiles Texas Indigo Snake Texas Indigo Snakes are one of the most fascinating members of the snake species and if you’re an admirer of reptiles, then they should be on your must-see list Found in select regions of Texas, these gorgeous snakes offer some incredible markings that make them stand out among other snake varieties. Eastern indigo snakes are solitary and diurnal creatures.
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