Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We know that indigos are not constrictors and that is what I have always preached to people. Today, we had a small live rat that walked through the shadows of death in our diamondback rattler exhibit and for the first time, didn't feed; not wanting to waste a good rat, I tossed it in with a young adult male I keep at home (among many other indigos). Without hesitation, the indigo rushed the rat, grabbed it and instead of beating it senseless, this indigo constricted it like a kingsnake. This indigo is 4 years old and has NEVER taken a live meal until this one. The rat was dead w/in a minute and it was done in classic constrictor fashion (of course, now I have to do a fecal soon to make sure I didn't give a rat with parasites!). Anyone seen this in their indigos? Maybe he has been staring at my green tree pythons right across the way!

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
Lake Forest, IL
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

I've never seen constriction from an indigo. IN fact I stopped feeding live primarily because the indigos would beat themselves half-senseless will beating the rat senseless.

You sure you don't just have some monster black king or mussurana in the indigo cage?

This is the first live feeding I've given an indigo; ever....and the last (just one of those curiousity things). I wish I had a big mussurana! I think it was just a very fluke event in which the indigo through a coil to pin the rat, slipped, and then through another coil and before you know it, it was constricting the snot (literally) out of the rat; I wish I had a camera or video nearby.

>>I've never seen constriction from an indigo. IN fact I stopped feeding live primarily because the indigos would beat themselves half-senseless will beating the rat senseless.
>>
>>You sure you don't just have some monster black king or mussurana in the indigo cage?
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

Just once?...are you not curious to see if your animal really might have the "constricting behavior hardwired gene"? Snakes must have evolved various methods of securing prey over millenia, perhaps yours has that random gene? I think it would be fun to offer it food on forceps and a little resistance, perhaps it will stimulate the constricting behavior? Enquiring Minds Want To Know...thankyou for your interesting post/observation.

I, too, was curious. Yesterday, I offered a warm rat via forceps (and wiggled and simulated live movement) and the snake grabbed it and pinned in indigo fashion; perhaps it has to struggle or have a heart beat or something. I may break down and try another live rat and will post my results.

>>Just once?...are you not curious to see if your animal really might have the "constricting behavior hardwired gene"? Snakes must have evolved various methods of securing prey over millenia, perhaps yours has that random gene? I think it would be fun to offer it food on forceps and a little resistance, perhaps it will stimulate the constricting behavior? Enquiring Minds Want To Know...thankyou for your interesting post/observation.
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

This may be exactly what we need to prove the hypothesis presented below. That black racers and Indigos truly DO hybridize in the wild. :>

Hypothesis? IF an Indigo encounters a racer, THEN it will eat the racer... ( BTW, neither species is typically a constrictor)

Given the way MOST Indigos consume food, i.e. the patented "blind rage" method, of using their bodies to pin the animal to the ground, I don't think it impossible that an Indigo could actually constrict a prey item.

I will say this, however, RACERS, they make an ideal Indigo food item, once thoroughly deparasitized that is......

lol

Fred Albury

I've seen w.c. YT's pin down live rodents while coiled around them, but they definitely were not constricting the prey item. I'd like to see them choke one out, but as Fred said, it's alot of the blind rage/fury kind of attack that I've witnessed with my snakes. MESSY!

Rob,

I have no doubt you know the difference between constriction and pinning. I take you at your word.

I have not seen it. Granted I'm a relative newbie but I've never seen a Dry work a food animal like Pituophis or Lampropeltus might.

New info....

Regards,
J.

I couldn't believe it at first; it was nothing like their classic pinning techniques that subdue prey; instead, it was a very tight "wrap" in which 2-3 coils were thrown around the snake in the open part of the cage where there is nothing it can pin the rat to. I will report what happens the next time around.

>>Rob,
>>
>>I have no doubt you know the difference between constriction and pinning. I take you at your word.
>>
>>I have not seen it. Granted I'm a relative newbie but I've never seen a Dry work a food animal like Pituophis or Lampropeltus might.
>>
>>New info....
>>
>>Regards,
>>J.
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

CHECK UP!!!!!!
Never seen it in, uhh, 30 years of Dry's..Lots of times they pin stuff against the wall, but real constriction?
However, we've often said how "smart" these guys are..Maybe it's an evolutionary step. It's got to be a lot easier than beating your dinner to death!!
Keep us updated..
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Carl W Gossett
Garage Door Herps
Monument,Colorado...northern territory of the Great Republic of Texas

A check up is certainly in order! I was very hesitant in even posting this observation because I, too, couldn't believe it but it was indeed a classic constriction. When I get back in town, I am going to feed another live rat and see what happens; I will share my results.

>>CHECK UP!!!!!!
>>Never seen it in, uhh, 30 years of Dry's..Lots of times they pin stuff against the wall, but real constriction?
>>However, we've often said how "smart" these guys are..Maybe it's an evolutionary step. It's got to be a lot easier than beating your dinner to death!!
>>Keep us updated..
>>-----
>>Carl W Gossett
>>Garage Door Herps
>>Monument,Colorado...northern territory of the Great Republic of Texas
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL