Species Profile: Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon corals couperi) on Military Installations in the Southeastern United States.

Abstract

Abstract : The eastern indigo snake (Dtymarchon corais couperi) is an uncommon, large-bodied snake occurring in the southeastern United States, primarily in southern Alabama and Georgia and most of Florida. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the species as Federally threatened in 1979. The species is most often found in xeric, sandhill habitats with well-drained sandy soils, but may occasionally be found in pine flatwoods, wet prairies, and mangrove. They often are found in the burrows of gopher tortoises (Gopheruspolyphemus). Indigo snakes have been documented on several military installations in the Southeast. This document is one of a series of Species Profiles being developed for threatened, endangered, and sensitive species inhabiting southeastern United States plant communities. The work is being conducted as part of the Department of Defense (DoD) Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP). The report is designed to supplement information provided in plant community management reports for major United States plant communities found on military installations. information provided on the eastern indigo snake includes status, life history and ecology, habitat requirements, impacts and cause of decline, management and protection, and inventory and monitoring.