Indigo snake | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Colubridae |
Genus: | Drymarchon |
Species: | D. corais |
Binomial name | |
Drymarchon corais (Boie, 1827) |
The Indigo snake (Drymarchon corais) is a species of snake of the family Colubridae. The snake is nonvenemous and is immune to other snakes' venom.
This snake is found in South America, including Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guyana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela as well as Trinidad
Its diet consists of birds, small mammals, turtles, amphibians, lizards, eggs, and small venomous snakes. It suffocates its prey strongly pinning them against the ground.
Until recently, all Drymarchon were classified as subspecies of D. corais. However, North and Central populations are now assigned to different species (D. melanurus, D. couperi and D. kolpobasileus), and D. caudomaculatus and D. margaritae are recognised as separate species in South America.