Natural History: Drymarchon couperi

On one of our field trips we went to the South Carolina Aquarium. Throughout the aquarium there were several different displays with a large variety of snakes. In one of these there was a Drymarchon couperi which is most commonly known as an Eastern Indigo snake. This gorgeous creature was around four to five foot long. 

This is the longest nonvenomous snake that is native to the United States and can range from about 60-84 inches. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect is it's shiny black/blue scales that cover it's entire body, making it a spectacle to see in person. For the juveniles they can often have a bit more red coloration on their heads. The Eastern Indigo snakes are also sexually dimorphic, as the males grow larger than the females.

The Eastern Indigo snakes are restricted to Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, but were historically reported to be found in South Carolina. The Eastern Indigo snake is known to be active only during the daytime. They preferably stick to wetland edges where they find their prey to be more abundant.  Fascinatingly these snakes can feed on mammals ,birds, frogs, and other snakes including rattlesnakes and cottonmouths.

Source: https://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/drycou.htm