It is this indigo coloration that gives this animal its name.Īlthough this species is commonly known as the Texas indigo snake, its known range extends deep into Mexico, with only the northern portion of its range extending into this state. ![]() Only with a closer inspection is it revealed that rather than being all-black, the front half of the body is mottled with dark brown while along the rear half of the body it actually displays varying shades of blue-black (or indigo). As with the closely related eastern Indigo snake of Florida, adults of the Texas species appear to be all-black at first glance. However, most adults are smaller, only averaging between 5½ and 6½ feet in total length. In both length and weight, it is one of the largest species of harmless snake in the state, with adults reaching a maximum recorded length of 8-feet 4¼ -inches and weighing between four and five pounds. The Texas indigo snake (Drymarchon corais erebennus) is a large serpent, and although nonvenomous, its size and coloration can intimidate even the most avid herpetologist. Of course, there are different levels of this fear, and even people who are not absolutely terrified of snakes can be frightened by all black serpents, especially when those serpents are among the largest snake species found in North America. ORIGINAL STORY: Ophidiophobia - fear of snakes - is a common ailment. And that mature snakes rarely sit still for photos. He can be reached at 43 or by email He also explained that the snake in the photo at the top of the story is a juvenile, and that the blue coloration that gives the snake its name doesn't appear until the snake matures. Michael Price, author of this story, is now the executive director of the I-20 Wildlife Preserve and Jenna Welch Nature Study Center in Midland, Texas. ![]() The snake mentioned in the story that came from Sonora is now part of the Texas Natural History Collection at the University of Texas in Austin as part of its herpetology preserve collection. The Nature Center is located at 7409 Knickerbocker Rd. Here is a clip from that video from another source.įor those interested in seeing one of these beautiful creatures up close, the San Angelo Nature Center has a live Indigo Snake in its collection. Notice: The original video from YouTube has been taken down over claims of policy violation. UPDATE - December 4, 2014: A YouTube video (see below) of a blue Indigo Snake chowing down on a western diamondback rattlesnake has gone viral recently causing interest in the snake to capture the imagination of the net.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |