Drymarchon | |
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Drymarchon couperi, eastern indigo snake | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Colubridae |
Subfamily: | Colubrinae |
Genus: | Drymarchon Fitzinger, 1843 [1] |
Species | |
See text | |
Synonyms [2] | |
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Drymarchon is a genus of large nonvenomous colubrid snakes, commonly known as indigo snakes or cribos, [3] found in the Southeastern United States, Central America, and South America.
Indigo snakes are large, robust snakes. They have smooth dorsal scales, and several color variations, including a glossy blue-black color. This snake genus, Drymarchon, means "Lord of The Forest". The species in this genus are sexually dimorphic, with the males being larger than the females. This is thought to be due to intraspecies competition from the males. [4]
Indigo snakes are diurnal and actively forage for prey. They feed on a broad variety of small animals such as rodents, birds, lizards, frogs, toads, and other snakes, including rattlesnakes. Indigo snakes will also eat small gopher tortoises when they are available. [5] They are not aggressive snakes and will bite only when threatened. Typical threat display includes hissing and shaking of its tail as a warning.
The current distribution of D. couperi is reported as extending from the Coastal Plain of southern Georgia to peninsular Florida and the lower Florida Keys west to Southeastern Mississippi. They use a variety of different habitats, including longleaf pine-turkey oak sandhills, pine and scrub flatwoods, dry prairie, tropical hardwoods, freshwater wetlands, and coastal dunes; however, winter survival, especially in northern portions of its range, depends on the availability of appropriate shelters which are primarily Gopher Tortoise burrows. [6] These burrows can be used to hide from predators, fires, and extreme temperatures. [7]
Populations in Alabama, Texas, and South Carolina have been largely lost due to habitat destruction, poaching, and killings. Indigo snakes are currently protected under the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission which makes it illegal to possess, harm, or harass them. Permits are also required in order to keep or transport this species. [8]
The genus Drymarchon was formerly considered to be a monotypic taxon formed by subspecies of D. corais. Currently the genus includes six distinct species recognized by ITIS: [9] One of the species has several subspecies which are recognized as being valid.
Nota bene : A binomial authority or a trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species or subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Drymarchon.
Pantherophis obsoletus, also known commonly as the western rat snake, black rat snake, pilot black snake, or simply black snake, is a nonvenomous species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to central North America. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid. Its color variations include the Texas rat snake. Along with other snakes of the eastern United States, like the eastern indigo snake and the eastern racer, it is called “black snake”.
The eastern indigo snake is a species of large, non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae. Native to the southeastern United States, it is the longest native snake species in the country.
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Haldea striatula, commonly called the rough earth snake, is a species of nonvenomous natricine colubrid snake native to the Southeastern United States.
The mud snake is a species of nonvenomous, semiaquatic, colubrid snake endemic to the southeastern United States.
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The unicolor cribo is a Central American subspecies of the cribo snakes. The eastern indigo snake, Drymarchon corais couperi is another species of this genus. Until recently the unicolor cribo was considered a subspecies of the same species as the indigo snake Drymarchon corais unicolor.
Gregory's wolf, also known as the Mississippi Valley wolf, was a subspecies of the red wolf. It was declared extinct in 1980. It once roamed the regions in and around the lower Mississippi River basin.
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The indigo snake, also known as the yellow-tail cribo, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. This large colubrid snake is nonvenomous.
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