# Blue Indigo=Bad Mo'Fo'



## GinMan (Jan 29, 2005)

Pretty COOL........


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## speckle-catcher (May 20, 2004)

you got more pics? I'd like to see that indigo when it's full of rattler


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

That's why they are here. Bad dudes!!


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## LA Cox (Oct 19, 2004)

What is a blue indigo...where are they at...are they poisonous???

Late,
Cox


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## capt4fish (Dec 4, 2004)

*Blue Indigo*

Best of knowledge they are protected. Get really big, I've seen'm better than 6 ft. although a good measurement was not done. I've seen other pics like this one, just wish I would be privileged enough to get to see the whole thing in person. I've caught them snapped a pic then let them go. While they are not poisonous they still give me the heeebbbbbeeeeeegibbeeees as do most snakes.
I've only seen'm in south texas.


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## Bucksnort (Jun 29, 2004)

thats a cool pic...did you take it?


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## GinMan (Jan 29, 2005)

No it was sent to me from my Uncle that guides in Deep South Texas, I figured ya'll would appreciate it!


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## Mrsailfish (Jan 4, 2005)

On our deer lease in mexico, I have seen several of these snakes.When I do see one it scares me and I get away.The ones that I have seen are very large and fast.I have heard that they eat the rattler's but have never seen it before.

Mrsailfish


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## 220swifter (Apr 5, 2005)

They are all over South Texas. They are immune to rattlesnake venom(I think). They supposedly eat a lot of rattlesnakes. Funny thing is, I have seen hundreds and I don't recall seeing one under six feet long. Anyway, if there is such a thing as a good snake, that is one.


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## troy merrill (May 21, 2004)

*Seen it before*

If I can find some pics I'll post them. Those are really cool snakes. I have only seen them only in South Texas. And like others, I have never seen a small one.

We found one in the middle of swallowing a good sized diamondback one day while quail hunting. Lost a dog that weekend to a huge rattler as well.


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## michaelbaranowski (May 24, 2004)

I have only seen one and it was at my gradma deerlease in Laredo. It had to be atleast 12' long and the size of a coffee can.

I looked on a website for one and it says the record in 8'. Then I must have been looking at a different kind of snake cause the one I saw was big.


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## pacontender (Jun 26, 2004)

We accidentally cut one in half with a maintaner a few years ago. It was almost eleven feet. I have seen two others well over 8 feet.


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

They are not indiginous(sp?) to US soil.
They are another critter brought heere from over seas for a purpose.
I think it was to control Rattlers.
But dont quote me on that.
Beautiful Snake!!!


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## Sean Hoffmann (May 24, 2004)

*Indigos*

No doubt, they're cool snakes, and on the state's Threatened list.

The Texas Indigo Snake (Drymarchon corais erebennus) is the largest snake found in the state. The snake attains a length of 5-6 1/2 feet (1 1/2-2 m) with a record length at 8 ft (2 1/2 m). The Texas Indigo Snake appears shiny and translucent black to blue-black. The chin and sides of head are reddish or orange-brown with black lines radiating from the eye. Scales are smooth and males may have a few rows of keeled scales.

The moist riparian breaks in the thornbrush, mesquite savannah, grassy plains, and sandhillls are suitable habitat for the Texas Indigo Snake. Underground tunnels with a higher humidity than the surface are necessary for molting. This territorial snake is diurnal and maintains a permanent den. Its voracious foraging is inflicted upon anything small enough to swallow including other snakes. Warm day conditions stimulate the snake's aggression and it will bite vigorously and release musk and feces to get its captor to release it.

A threatened Texas Indigo Snake will also hiss loudly, whirl the tip of its tail, and produce a vertical swelling of the neck.

Breeding occurs during the winter season. Mating behavior is aggressive with biting from both mates. Females lay 10-12 eggs in the spring. The incubation period is 70 to 85 days. The first two years of a Texas Indigo Snake's life is spent in seclusion.

Although the Texas Indigo Snake is nonvenomous, they should be handled with care. Habitat loss and human settlement are the main threat to the survival of the Texas Indigo Snake.


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## Oxbowtheoriginal1 (Jul 20, 2004)

I was sitting between a clump of trees & fell asleep while deer hunting in Frio, I was woke up by something sliding over my leg..It was an Indigo... I was frozen with fear..I was 17 at the time.. After an underwear change my uncle Bill told me it was a blue racer(Indigo).
Good snake...BAD experiance...
Since then I wont sit on the ground while deer hunting!!

Oxx..


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## jag11741 (Jan 7, 2005)

saw several all over six feet when a was young boy @ camp wood lease


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

Well I looked it up this time.
I was wrong (again) , the indigo is native to the US.
There is also one in Florida called the Eastern Indigo. Looks the same.
Says they are the largest North American snake.
Now I know.


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## Bozo (Jun 16, 2004)

The one I saw was near George West. We were on the back side of the lease running down a sendera and it slithered across the road ahead of us. It streched across the tire tracks whilst moving so, it was a bigun' for sure. How big? I dont know, I would guess 6-7' or bigger maybe. It wasn't big around like a coffee can like described above, maybe the size of lose fist or so.


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## Bigwater (May 21, 2004)

Redfishr,
LOL I was going to hammer you for saying that snake was not native to the US! I opted knot to. Glad you figured it out on your own.

LOL
Biggie


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## Arlon (Feb 8, 2005)

Interesting.. Had indigos as pets when I was a kid growing up in south florida. The fla. indigo has to be the most docile snake in the world. I had one about 6ft that I cought with a flying tackle. I've never seen or heard of the fla. variety showing any kind of agression towards a captor. One reason we used to like catching them. NOTHING like a yellow belly water snake, those snakes are just flat out grumpy. I'd almost be willing to drive to south Texas just to see on eof those. I guess they are cousins to the fla. snake but definately not the same snake.. Way cool, thanks for the photo! Arlon


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## jtburf (May 26, 2004)

Don't they aslo go by the name Corch whip ??? I know it's not spelled correctly ....John


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## Bucksnort (Jun 29, 2004)

no a coach whip is a long skinny snake but is black


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## 220swifter (Apr 5, 2005)

I am surprised to hear that they are on the endangered list. I do not spend as much time as would like in the brush now, but as a kid we would see them regularly. We had one that lived under the house at Baffin Bay and saw him just about every day.


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## HornSuperFan (May 31, 2005)

That pic is sweet.


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## TPD (Jun 11, 2004)

*Indigo*

The interesting thing about those snakes is that they are not constrictors. They pummel their prey to death by grabbing it and violently slamming it into the ground. I think that explains why that rattler's head is so bloody in the picture.


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## michaelbaranowski (May 24, 2004)

Now I would like to see that.


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## NBbasser (Jun 29, 2004)

Bozo said:


> The one I saw was near George West. We were on the back side of the lease running down a sendera and it slithered across the road ahead of us. It streched across the tire tracks whilst moving so, it was a bigun' for sure. How big? I dont know, I would guess 6-7' or bigger maybe. It wasn't big around like a coffee can like described above, maybe the size of lose fist or so.


I was raised in GW. I've seen them on our place there before. I have also heard them called whip snakes. For some reason I remember being told to stay away from the tail. The ones I've seen were also over 6ft. We had one hang out for a couple of years in brush pile at the back of our place.


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## twdjr (May 8, 2005)

Cool Pic, thanks for sharing!


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## B2 (Jun 11, 2004)

NICE PIC. I have a picture in my office of a 6'+ indigo draped over my neck I caught (and released) down in South Texas as few years ago. They are the largest and one of the most beautiful snakes you'll ever see in the US. They are not constrictors and simply overwhelm they prey with their size. They they a protected species and one of their main food sources is rattlesnakes (and anything else they can catch), so they should absolutely not be killed out of fear -although they get so big (8'+) they do freak people out when they are encountered in the wild, often times during the day, because it of its diurnal (daytime) activity.


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## Channelcat (May 22, 2004)

I was on a public hunt at Choke Canyon several years ago, and during the orentation the biologist warned everyone not to kill the Blue Indigo's. One evening after the hunt I was at the headquarters signing out and a guy brought in two Blue Indigo's he killed with a bow. The biologist simply picked up the phone and called the game warden and the guy was charged with two counts of killing a protected animal.


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## bburge (Aug 5, 2004)

Indigo's are protected in Texas, and rightfully so. They are not poisonous, in fact they are so docile that you can pick them up if you've a mind to. They are also not immune to rattlesnake poison, just big, fast and strong enough to take them down without getting bit. So you've got a reasonably friendly snake that eats rattlers for a living, they've earned their protection. Glad to hear that folks are seeing more of them, they've never been very common


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## JellyFish (Jul 23, 2004)

*That is a very cool picture.*

Years ago I was on a white wing hunt near Rio Grande City. I went looking for a dove that fell into the tree line behind me. It was real brushy and I had to stoop over to get in. 

I came face to face to one of these things with a mouth full of dove. I let him keep it.


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## AL-umineum (Jul 16, 2004)

*Fyi*

*The eastern indigo is a truly unique animal. Attaining lengths over 8 feet, the glossy, iridescent blue-black snakes glide slowly through their Florida habitat, searching for a meal, which could be just about anything. A surprising fact, given the size and musculature of these snakes, indigo snakes are not constrictors. Rather than coiling about their prey, indigo snakes subdue it by grabbing with strong jaws, thrashing it, pinning it down, and consuming it. The menu of the eastern indigo includes but is not limited to: rodents, birds, snakes (including venomous), lizards, amphibians, young turtles, fish, and, well you get the idea. Indigos are a top predator in their unique and fragile ecosystem.

Pretty cool, eh?

Jeff
*


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## Bucksnort (Jun 29, 2004)

bburge said:


> Indigo's are protected in Texas, and rightfully so. They are not poisonous, in fact they are so docile that you can pick them up if you've a mind to. They are also not immune to rattlesnake poison, just big, fast and strong enough to take them down without getting bit. So you've got a reasonably friendly snake that eats rattlers for a living, they've earned their protection. Glad to hear that folks are seeing more of them, they've never been very common


FYI, not that I would want to but I believe it is against the law to pick up or handle a protected species.


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## guiness (May 9, 2005)

Saw my first when I lived in Brownsville in the early 60's. You'll see alot of them on Choke Canyon Reservoir. Have also seen them at Falcon. Good friend had one try to get in to his boat on Falcon. Very territorial. They are protected. Will scare the heck out of you. The first one I saw was well over six foot and I've seen a couple of others at Choke I believe were bigger. Good snakes....if such a thing exists.


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## scales (Jun 30, 2005)

*indigos*

Seen these snakes on my place near George West on the Nueces river.
Always 6ft or better, cold black movin fast. Nasty lookin.


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## txbassmaster75 (Jul 2, 2005)

First let me start off saying that I am deathly afraid of snakes. With that being said, back a few years ago we were hunting in South Texas and I was sitting on the ground next to a pond, when I heard something in the tall grass behind me, I figured it to be a rabbit or other small animal, but it kept getting closer. I decided to take refuge on an abandoned concrete pump base for an out of service vertical water tank, the pump base was 1 1/2 ft up off the ground. This gigantic black head comes out of the grass right towards where I was sitting. It's body just kept coming out of the grass, until finally all 12+ feet of it was sniffing my crackers that I left where I was sitting. Needless to say at this point I'm dern near hyper-ventilating at the fact that such a creature was right in front of me. But it was an awesome sight much the same. It made it's way around the tank, and back next to my concrete perch, just inches from my feet. Then it headed to the water and swam ever so gracefully across the pond. Right out of the movie Anaconda....lol.

My grandfather tells stories of a quail hunt where he eyes a 20 footer. But it turns out to be 2 ten footers wrapped up together doing the horizontal mambo. He says these snakes were brought in by the King Ranch to control the rattlesnakes, and they have spread from there.


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## Woodrow (Jun 17, 2004)

I've always heard not only Indigos, but Bull snakes also kill Rattlesnakes (Bull's are dark colored to the best of my knowledge).

I've seen one Blue Indigo at our place in Frio Co. that was big, but according to those with me, it was not near as big as they get...beautiful snake! 

When I was little I saw a Bull snake (that's my guess, I was like 8 at the time) stretch nearly across a county road in Mason Co.! That is no **** either, my dad was behind me in the truck, I was on a 4 wheeler. I'm not sure how I had the guts to do it, but I ran over the middle of that sucker with the 4 wheeler (like I said, I was like 8 and dumb)...it slithered off after that and looking back I really hope he was okay. 

There is a mount of a Bull snake eating a Rattler at the Carter's Country in Spring.

Speaking of snake killers, I know of a German Shorthair pointer that is a freaking snake killer...I've seen her kill two Cottonmouths. She sticks her head in every hole and under every log at the farm she lives at. It's pretty cool too b/c she does all this looking out in front of you, like in the direction you are heading (i.e. fishing around a pond)...I really think she is looking for snakes.


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