Eastern Indigo Snake
Drymarchon couperi
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyColubridae (Colubrid Snakes)
- GenusDrymarchon (Indigo Snakes)
- SpeciesDrymarchon couperi (Eastern Indigo Snake)
About the Eastern Indigo Snake
The eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi) is a species of large, nonvenomous snake in the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. Native to the Southeastern United States, it is the longest native snake species in the country.
The eastern indigo snake was first described by John Edwards Holbrook in 1842. For many years, the genus Drymarchon was considered monotypic with one species, Drymarchon corais, with 12 subspecies, until the early 1990s, when Drymarchon corais couperi was elevated to full species status according to the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, in their official names list.
The generic name, Drymarchon, roughly translates to "lord of the forest". It is composed of the Greek words drymos (Δρυμός), meaning "forest", and archon (ἄρχων), meaning "lord" or "ruler". The specific name is a latinization of the surname of American planter James Hamilton Couper (1794–1866). Couper brought Holbrook the type specimen from south of the Altamaha River in Wayne County, Georgia.
Drymarchon couperi has a number of common names, including black snake, blue bull snake, blue gopher snake... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Eastern Indigo Snake in Everglades National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Everglades National Park
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Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Eastern Indigo Snake in Everglades National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Eastern Indigo Snake sighting in Everglades National Park, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Eastern Indigo Snake in Everglades National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Eastern Indigo Snake in Everglades National Park in our monthly data.