Rare Eastern Indigo Snake Found. Reports Say It’s Only The Second Sighting In 60 Years
Rare Eastern Indigo Snake Found. Reports Say It’s Only The Second Sighting In 60 Years
Rare Eastern Indigo Snake Found. Reports Say It’s Only The Second Sighting In 60 Years
Many are not amazed by snakes. But those who do will surely enjoy the sighting of this rare snake that has slithered its way back home to Alabama. It’s so rare that this is only the second recorded sighting of this particular snake species in the last 60 years.
The discovery, which occurred earlier this month in the Conecuh National Forest, was made by accident. According to a statement from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, this is only the second time in more than 60 years that this wild-born Eastern indigo snake has been sighted in the state.
According to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources division of wildlife and freshwater fisheries, the discovery of the juvenile snake indicates that efforts to reintroduce the federally protected species back into the state, which began in 2006, are coming to fruition.
The statement said: “The snake… indicates that the project is resulting in some thriving and reproducing indigos — just what we wanted! Reintroducing a species to its native range is a daunting task, and we celebrate each step of its success.”
During the initial stages of the initiative, the snakes released were bred from indigos that had been collected in the wild in Georgia and raised in captivity. The statement explained: “The goal is to release a total of 300 snakes over the years to improve the chances of establishing a viable population.”
In order to complete the project, state officials are collaborating with a number of partners, including Auburn University’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, the United States Forest Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as zoos in Tampa, Florida, and Atlanta.
However, even though the Eastern Indigo is non-venomous, it is still considered an apex predator because it can grow to be more than 8 feet in length. The Eastern indigo is thought to be the longest snake endemic to North America because of its length of 66 feet. According to officials, it preys on a wide variety of small mammals, amphibians, lizards, and a variety of snake species, including the copperhead.
The first wild-born Eastern indigo was discovered in Alabama in 2020, according to the state’s official website. According to the experts, it was just 2 feet in length, indicating that it had only recently hatched, and it lacked a monitoring system, indicating that it was not a released snake.
Traci Wood, a habitat and species conservation specialist with Alabama’s Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, handled the first Eastern Indigo, which was discovered in the Conecuh National Forest in 2020. Traci Wood is a native of the state of Alabama.
In an article published by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, she stated that she understood the significance of the situation shortly after it occurred. She said, “I’m not embarrassed to say that I was shaking when I held that animal. This is a monumental benchmark in conservation for Alabama and the southeast region for this species.”
Following the discovery, the officials are hoping that their efforts to reintroduce the federally protected species back into the state is going to continue. This is the second sighting following the first one in 2020. And they are hoping that there will be more in the future.
