The release marked the beginning of a 10-year indigo release program to support species recovery in the region, part of a monitoring program by Auburn University, which will track the snakes to inform future conservation efforts. But as of 2017, the king of North America’s snakes has been returned to its home along the Apalachicola River, to restored longleaf pine habitat, a collaborative effort between the Conservancy and many land, water and wildlife conservation agencies. But, bullsnakes are non-venomous, and have actually evolved to look like rattlesnakes so that would-be predators leave them alone. The snake had not been seen at the Conservancy’s Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve (ABRP) in Florida since 1982. Bullsnakes, also known as gopher snakes, occupy many of the same places as rattlesnakes.At first glance, the two look similarthey both have diamond-shaped patterns running down their bodies. When tortoises were heavily harvested and suffered habitat loss in North Florida, the indigo population was impacted as well. They often return every winter to the same burrow. Indigos hibernate during cold weather, nestling in gopher tortoise burrows when temperatures reach the 20s. Populations in other parts of the state, although declining, still have strongholds in warmer Central and South Florida, where it rarely drops below freezing. Vehicle strikes on the roadway are also a danger.Įastern indigos have largely been eliminated from North Florida due to habitat loss and fragmentation. Adult indigos may travel a span of three miles during warmer seasons, so large, intact landscapes are essential for the specials survival.įew if any indigos persist in North Florida. Threats to the snake included loss of habitat, which continues today, and over-collection for the pet trade. In 1978, eastern indigos were federally listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
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