Eastern Indigo Snake

Drymarchon couperi

The largest native nonvenomous snake in the United States, a glossy black snake that shines blue in sunlight and even eats rattlesnakes.

🐍 Snakes

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About the Eastern Indigo Snake

Eastern indigo snakes are the largest native nonvenomous snakes in the U.S., reaching up to 8 feet. They live in longleaf pine forests, sandhills, wetlands and coastal scrub, and healthy populations remain mainly in southern Georgia and Florida. They often hide in gopher tortoise burrows. Instead of squeezing their prey, they overpower it with strong jaws and swallow it whole.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Drymarchon couperi^[1]
Size: Up to 8 feet long. Males are usually larger.^[1]
Lifespan: Can approach 20 years.^[1]
Diet: Carnivore. Almost any animal it can overpower, including venomous snakes.^[1]
Habitat: Longleaf pine forests, sandhills, pine flatwoods, wetlands and coastal scrub.^[1]
Where it lives: The southeastern Coastal Plain; now mainly southern Georgia and Florida.^[1]
Babies: 4 to 12 eggs, which take about three months to hatch.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2007).^[2]

Fun facts

In sunlight, an indigo snake's black scales shine blue, purple and red.^[1]
It is immune to pit viper venom and eats rattlesnakes.^[1]
It often shelters in gopher tortoise burrows.^[1]

Vocabulary

nonvenomous: Not able to inject poison.
iridescent: Showing shimmering colors that change with the angle of light.
immune: Protected from being harmed by something, like a poison.
fragmented: Broken into small, separated pieces.
longleaf pine: A tall pine tree that once covered much of the southeastern U.S.

See it in person

Zoo AtlantaAtlanta, Georgia · All AnimalsSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Zoo Atlanta. “Eastern Indigo Snake.” https://zooatlanta.org/animal/eastern-indigo-snake/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Drymarchon couperi.” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/63773/12714602 (accessed 2026-10-02)