Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hello

I was just wondering if indigo snakes have more powerful jaws then other snakes of their size? furthermore what methods do these snakes use when killing prey? and last what is the largest animal an indigo snake (full grown) has been known to kill and eat?

i can attest to their jaw strength unfortunately. last year i was 'mauled' by a wc subadult male yt. i've been bitten many times thru the years but never like that! the downward force was incredible and he just kept ripping at me. i was amazed at how much psi he was putting out!! as far as how drymarchon eat, pretty much the same way. lol! unless fed p/k or f/t, the prey animal is basically chewed and inhaled alive while being violently pressed against something. i couldn't say for sure what the largest prey consumed would be however only that dry's do not have the greatest flexibility in their jaws. even my largest males are fed only small rats, two per feeding although they could take mediums i'm sure. hope this helps.......

I think it depends on the prey size as to how violent they get. With smaller animals, they seem to just immobilize in their jaws (and yes their jaws are much more powerful than other similarly sized snakes), maybe press it or slam it on the ground a few times and swallow.

With larger prey I’ve seen them the middle part of the prey to the ground with a coil and yank hard on the head with their jaws, almost as if they are trying to tear it in half (which they do sometimes)
I’ve heard vertebrae crack on large f/t rats that large indigos of mine have treated in this manner.

As for the largest prey…they tend to prefer animals that are not very “fat” as with their large scales they are not as “elastic” as smaller-scaled snakes. Large snakes are not a problem though. The late Dr. Sherman Minton reported in his autobiography “Live, love and Reptiles” that the cribo (Drymarchon corias) has been known in Central America to consume boa constrictors up to 5’. That’s a good size, girthy boa!

just curious what are some animals that have been known to kill and eat 8 foot indigos?

I think the only natural predator in the SE US that would kill an 8' indigo would be either an alligator or a Florida Panther. (which there are like 12 of). I don't think even a bobcat would mess with a large adult. Easier meals are all around.

Of the snakes with transmitters in FL and SE GA, there has been only one "suspected" killing by a predator. It was a 5.5' snake that found itself entangled in a chain link fence and was killed...either by a large bird of prey, a bobcat or a pet.

I'm sure in the US there are many more adult indigos killed by dogs and humans than by natural predators.

I can't speak for Drymarchon in other parts of the range...but for the most part, I believe that large adults are at the top of the food chain.

Young Dry's of course fall prey to many predators.

Pigs are notorious snake eaters. If youv'e ever been to the S.E., and I know you have Dean, there are tons of wild pigs. It wouldn't surprise me if the explosion of wild pigs contributed to the decline og the Indigo.

The feral pigs eat everything. From indigos and diamondbacks to digging up sea turtle eggs and destroying the entire nest.

It is very important to also point out that the feral pigs are very tasty on the bar-b-que, ham sandwiches, etc.

Advice to Florida residents:

Save on your grocery bill and enjoy:

"feral pig, the other white meat"