What is being done to protect the eastern indigo snake?
PROTECTION UNDER FEDERAL AND STATE LAW: The eastern indigo snake is classified as a Threatened species by both the USFWS and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). “Taking” of eastern indigo snakes is prohibited by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) without a permit.
Are blue indigo snakes protected?
Indigos seldom bite people, but they do bite their prey, enemies, or each other during aggressive competition between males. Although the indigo snake is harmless, because of its protected status this is a snake that you are not allowed to handle without a permit. How do you identify the eastern indigo snake?
Why are eastern indigo snake endangered?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the eastern indigo snake as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1978 due to dramatic population declines caused by habitat loss, overcollection for the pet trade, and mortalities caused by toxic chemicals commonly used to catch rattlesnakes.
How long do eastern indigo snakes live?
25 years and 11 months
Eastern indigo snakes are diurnal. Information on the life span of eastern indigo snakes in the wild is not available. The longest this species has survived in human care is 25 years and 11 months.
Where do blue indigo snakes live?
Today the indigo snake survives in peninsular Florida and southeast Georgia, persists in the Florida panhandle, but in low numbers, but has been extirpated from Alabama and Mississippi. What do they eat? Indigo snakes are known to feed mainly upon other snakes, turtles, mammals, frogs, birds, and lizards.
Is the eastern indigo snake an endangered species?
Under the Endangered Species Act the US Fish and Wildlife Service has listed the eastern indigo snake as “threatened.” With this designation, individuals who harm or harass the indigo snake may be subject to fines and jail terms.
Why is the indigo snake important to the ecosystem?
Being at the top of its food chain, a healthy population of eastern indigo snakes in a longleaf pine forest setting is an indication of an ecologically functional forest. The loss of the indigo snake from Alabama and other areas is the loss of a significant part of the biodiversity of the forest.
Where do indigo snakes go in the winter?
Indigos hibernate during cold weather, nestling in gopher tortoise burrows when temperatures reach the 20s. They often return every winter to the same burrow. When tortoises were heavily harvested and suffered habitat loss in North Florida, the indigo population was impacted as well.
Can a indigo snake bite you without a permit?
Under the Endangered Species Act the US Fish and Wildlife Service has listed the eastern indigo snake as “threatened.” With this designation, individuals who harm or harass the indigo snake may be subject to fines and jail terms.
Indigos seldom bite people, but they do bite their prey, enemies, or each other during aggressive competition between males. Although the indigo snake is harmless, because of its protected status this is a snake that you are not allowed to handle without a permit. How do you identify the eastern indigo snake?
Being at the top of its food chain, a healthy population of eastern indigo snakes in a longleaf pine forest setting is an indication of an ecologically functional forest. The loss of the indigo snake from Alabama and other areas is the loss of a significant part of the biodiversity of the forest.
Indigos hibernate during cold weather, nestling in gopher tortoise burrows when temperatures reach the 20s. They often return every winter to the same burrow. When tortoises were heavily harvested and suffered habitat loss in North Florida, the indigo population was impacted as well.
Is the eastern indigo snake protected?
Eastern indigo snakes became federally protected as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1978, and they are also protected as threatened by Florida and Georgia. Eastern indigo snakes use a wide variety of habitats ranging from very wet to very dry.
