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I was just wondering if any predators would go after and eat an adult indigo? Not having poison and not being able to constrict you would think many animals out there would put them on the menu?

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>>I was just wondering if any predators would go after and eat an adult indigo? Not having poison and not being able to constrict you would think many animals out there would put them on the menu?

I'll take a shot at your question.

While Indigos may not be venomous and are not constrictors, they are large, powerful, agile, and can bite hard. Adult Indigos are diurnal, and highly aware of their surroundings. They are top predators among snakes, and occupy an ecological role more similar to a medium-sized mammal than to other large snakes.

Natural enemies of adult indigos would include only the largest of predators, such as alligators, panthers, wild pigs, and feral dogs. Even large birds of prey might hesitate to attack a snake that can outweigh them 2:1. They are simply too much to handle for smaller predators. Unfortunately, they have no defense against their three greatest threats - the Developers Bulldozer, the Common Automobile, and the Ignorant Human.

Adult Indigos have no fear of other snakes, and will attack and eat adult Kingsnakes, Coachwhips, Ratsnakes, Racers, Copperheads, Cottonmouths, and Rattlers. As a rule of thumb, an adult Indigo will eat anything it can catch, subdue and swallow. They subdue prey with their powerful bite, by pinning it down with their body, and by thrashing it about like a Terrier with a Rat. Some reptile and amphibian prey may be swallowed while still alive and weakly struggling, but birds and mammals succumb quickly to the Indigos overwhelmingly violent attack.

Younger Indigos are much more vulnerable to predation by all manner of predatory mammals, birds of prey, snapping turtles, samll gators, and even bullfrogs. Other snakes are a hazard to immature Indigos, including Kings, Coaches, Racers, and larger Indigos.

Hope this helps.

John D

P.S. Here is a link to some additional info.
Indigosnakes.com Home Page

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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"
0.1 Black Rat (WV Rescue) "Roberta"

OMG I am sooo shocked that INdigos will even take on ADULT king snakes! That is just insane! HAs anyone seen it happen?

Also I thought bobcats would be a serious threat to adult snakes since they are so numerous in florida and ohhh so violent when attacking snakes~!

There is a very sad case of such, though not in the wild, Dean A. once lost a prized adult Lampropeltis to a Dry. As I recall, there was not a mark on the Dry.
Perhaps he will see your post and expound upon such, as it is a very interesting story, though indeed sad.
Sometimes you will find members of the Dry and King forums going back and forth over whose animals reign supreme, all in good humor of course.
Now, for some truly amazing ophiophagic tales, you might wish to consult Doug T. and some of the other keepers of mussurannas..

Best regards,

Jeff
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

I think I know the story. Dean had a 5' female Cal king escape INTO a large male Texas indigo's enclosure.

End result: Fat indigo.

I have this guy now and can not imagine a kingsnake that would give him a battle.

>>I have this guy now and can not imagine a kingsnake that would give him a battle.
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Nothing short of Ophiophagus hannah would pose any threat to that Goliath.

As for a Bobcat - my money's on Big Tex!
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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"
0.1 Black Rat (WV Rescue) "Roberta"

Great looking beast you have there, Mike,

He looks to be almost as big as Bubba! What does he measure and weigh?

Thanks for sharing,

Jeff
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

Wow--he should be his own subspecies! Remarkable beastie you have there!

rgds,
althea

Can u please tell me what dry stand for?

"Dry" is an abreviation of Drymarchon. Drymarchon is the Genus of Indigos and Cribos.

hope that makes sense.

I once lost a bearded dragon to a Cal King......my girlfriend at the time was PO'd....He was getting big and was just starting to enjoy him. Poor little guy never had a chance....