The Eastern indigo snake is the longest native snake in North America and can reach lengths of up to 8 feet! These large, black snakes are apex predators - they are the top of the food chain and have a broad diet which includes mammals, lizards, frogs and even turtles. Indigo snakes will also eat other snakes, known as ophiophagy, including venomous snakes like the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake. Research suggests they are immune to the toxins of venomous snakes that share their range!

The Eastern indigo snake is native throughout Florida and up into the southern edges of Georgia and Alabama, though modernly it has been removed from much of its historic range - especially in northern Florida. They are listed as Threatened by the US Federal Government, affording this snake and its habitats some protections. Habitat loss and fragmentation are their main threats today, though collection for the pet trade and accidental death as a result of outdated rattlesnake hunting methods were significant contributors to the species’ initial decline. But there is hope! There are captive breeding and release programs that are actively working to reintroduce this species to protected areas in their historic range, and these programs are seeing a lot of success.