I am a class III commerical collector and I doubt anyone has seen more Indigos in the wild than I have here in 40 years in Sarasota Fl, I have been collecting snakes since I was 12, my friends think I have a cape and most agree that very few people have spent as much time in the woods as I have, at least here in cent fla, Im not posting to brag but maybe you'll believe me when I say that when hunting areas that have been burned leaving no real ground cover the snakes will move great distances and when pigs do find them even a single young pig will attack and eat any snake even the eastern diamondback, I'm sure you may not believe this but its true, In fact as offten as I find carcasses I would say snakes are a main staple in the pig diet, I also find ribbons and coachwhips and racers dead as well in thoese burns but they dont seem to care too much for the little snakes it seem they would prefer the larger snakes, pigs are very aggressive and no snake no matter how big will stop a hungry pig, as I said even diamondbacks get eaten. and BTW of the 60 or so Indigos I have seen none were more than 6 foot or less than 30", the juvies are timid, but one 5 footer was 3&1/2 inches wide from eating pigfrogs after a flood in the woods, so in my opinion 8' Indigos only occour in collections. as for the hawks, I'm certain they prey on smaller snakes but I sometimes like to let my big snakes outside and crawl around in my yard on sunny mornings and I have seen hawks in the trees watching my snake, advidly too but they have never attacked any of my big snakes even when I'm inside the house looking out, seems they dont want to fight for the meal where a pig has zero fear of any snake no matter what kind of bluff or length or toxin the snake has to offer. I also know lots of pighunters, some think pigs are immune to EDR venomn, just suffer a little swelling. IMO These are the contenders big snakes face in order, first roads, then pigs, then fire ants destroying eggs and juvinile snakes, then habitat loss/development, then collection. also IMO big snakes stand no chance for any long term survival anywhere in cent- south fla, but the small snakes will always be around as long as there are woods and lizards.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Show Entire Thread ]