Indigo snake
Central American Indigo Snake
HarmlessDrymarchon melanurus
6 photographs of the Central American Indigo Snake. © Francisco Farriols Sarabia.
The Central American Indigo Snake (Drymarchon melanurus) is a non-venomous snake in the Colubridae family, recorded in 15 countries.
- Also called
- Indigo snake
- Family
- Colubridae
- Size
- Very large, up to 8+ ft — the longest native U.S. snake.
- Habitat
- Sandhills, scrub, and pine flatwoods.
- Behavior
- Day-active and non-venomous; eats other snakes, including venomous ones. Federally protected in parts of its range.
- Identify
- Glossy blue-black body, often with a reddish chin.
About the Central American Indigo Snake
The Middle American indigo snake (Drymarchon melanurus), also known commonly as the blacktail cribo, is a species of large, nonvenomous, snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. In addition to the nominate subspecies, it has four other recognized subspecies, including D. m. erebennus, commonly known as the Texas indigo snake.
Description
D. melanurus is a large species that can grow to a total length (including tail) of 1.80 m (6 ft) to over 2.40 m (8 ft). This species has predominantly olive-brown glossy dorsal scales evolving to black at the tail. The underside is a lighter olive-yellow, olive-tan color.
D. melanurus has distinctive dark markings round the eyes, a vertical dark slash just behind the jaw. and a heavy diagonal dark slash on both sides of the neck.
The subspecies D. m. erebennus is predominantly solid black, though there can be lighter shaded variations.
Geographic range and habitat
The geographic range of D. melanurus extends from southern Texas southwards through the Gulf Coast of Mexico, the Yucatán Peninsula, Guatemala and Belize. On the Pacific coast, its range extends from Sinaloa in Mexico, southward to Guatemala, as far south as Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. Its elevational distribution goes from near sea level up to around 1,900 m asl (6,230 feet).
The subspecies D. m. erebennus is found in southern Texas and southwards into Mexico as far as Veracruz.
Subspecies
There are five subspecies of D. melanurus which are recognized as being valid, including the nominate subspecies.
Drymarchon melanurus erebennus (Cope, 1860)
Drymarchon melanurus melanurus (A.M.C. Dumeril, Bibron & A.H.A. Dumeril, 1854)
Drymarchon melanurus orizabensis (Dugès, 1905)
Drymarchon melanurus rubidus H.M. Smith, 1941
Drymarchon melanurus unicolor H.M. Smith, 1941
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Drymarchon.
Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.
Frequently asked: Central American Indigo Snake
- Is the Central American Indigo Snake venomous?
- No. The Central American Indigo Snake (Drymarchon melanurus) is non-venomous and is not considered dangerous to humans. Like most snakes, it will retreat rather than bite when given the chance.
- Is the Central American Indigo Snake poisonous?
- Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Central American Indigo Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.
- Is the Central American Indigo Snake dangerous?
- The Central American Indigo Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
- Where does the Central American Indigo Snake live?
- The Central American Indigo Snake has verified records in 15 countries, including Mexico, United States of America, Colombia. See the distribution section below for its full range.
- How do I identify the Central American Indigo Snake?
- Glossy blue-black body, often with a reddish chin.
- How big does the Central American Indigo Snake get?
- Very large, up to 8+ ft — the longest native U.S. snake.
Where it is found
By U.S. state
More Colubridae snakes
Classification
How scientists group this snake, from the broadest category down to the exact species. Each step narrows to its closest relatives.
- OrderThe broad group of scaled reptiles: all snakes and lizards
- Squamata
- FamilyA group of related snakes that share key traits
- Colubridae
- GenusA close-knit group of very similar species
- Drymarchon
- SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name
- Drymarchon melanurus
Keep learning
- What to Do If You Find a SnakeFound a snake at home or on a trail? Here is how to stay calm, give it space, identify it safely, and know when to call a professional.
- Venomous vs Nonvenomous: How to Tell the DifferenceThe folk rules for telling venomous snakes apart, where each one fails, and why location-based identification beats guessing by sight.
- What Is a Snake? Anatomy and the BasicsA clear overview of what makes a snake a snake: limbless body plan, anatomy, evolution from lizards, species diversity, and why they are ectothermic.
- How to Keep Snakes Out of Your Yard and HomeA practical guide to keeping snakes out of your yard and home using habitat changes that work, plus what to skip and what to do if one shows up.
Distribution from GBIF & iNaturalist. Venom status per CDC. Background: Wikipedia. Informational only. Never handle a snake to identify it.