Drymarchon melanurus erebennus
| Drymarchon melanurus erebennus | |
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| Texas indigo snake | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Drymarchon |
| Species: | D. melanurus |
| Subspecies: | D. m. erebennus |
| Trinomial name | |
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Drymarchon melanurus erebennus Cope, 1860 |
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| Synonyms | |
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Drymarchon melanurus erebennus, commonly known as the Texas indigo snake, is a large, nonvenomous, colubrid snake native to Texas and Mexico.
It is found from southern Texas south into Mexico as far as Veracruz.
Texas indigo snakes are predominantly black in color, with a high sheen which gives their smooth scales a remarkable iridescent hue. Their underside is often a salmon pink color. They are large snakes, regularly attaining total lengths beyond 6 ft (1.8 m); 8 ft (2.4 m) long specimens are not unheard of.
Texas indigo snakes prefer lightly vegetated areas not far from permanent water sources, but are also found in mesquite savannah, open grassland areas, and coastal sand dunes. They den in burrows left by other animals.
Indigo snakes are diurnal snakes, and spend most of their time actively hiding. They will consume almost anything they can overpower and swallow, including mammals, birds, lizards, frogs, turtles, eggs, and even other snakes, including rattlesnakes. Because of its aggressive attacks on rattlesnakes, many farmers in southern Texas consider it a useful ally. Hence the adage, "If it's an indigo, let it go." It is not a typically aggressive snake, but may bite or release a foul smelling musk from its cloaca if handled or harassed. Like many colubrid snakes, it will often shake its tail as a warning - even though it does not possess a rattle.
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Wikipedia