The elusive Eastern indigo snake has slithered into Alabama for just the second time in more than 60 years. An aggressive attempt to reintroduce the snakes to the state has been successful after the finding of an Eastern indigo snake that was born in the wild.
The largest snake native to the US – the reptile was used to be found in Alabama. However, according to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, they became extinct in the state in the 1950s, mostly as a result of habitat ʟᴏss.
The snakes are a cructial part of the ecosystem. Eastern indigo snakes were formerly the “apex predator” in the longleaf pine forests where they inhabit, according to Jim Godwin, an animal researcher. As a result, other species in the environment are negatively impacted by a fall in the snake’s population.
So, in order to return the Eastern indigo snake to Alabama, a group of environmentalists in Alabama started a project in 2006. They started breeding a captive population by starting with snakes that were wild-captured in Georgia, where the snakes are also present. 2010 saw the introduction of the first snakes from the captive population into Conecuh National Forest. To establish a thriving population in Alabama, a total of 300 snakes will eventually be released.
The discovery of Eastern indigo snakes that were born in the wild indicates that the snakes that were released survived and produced progeny, offering some hope for the survival of the species in Alabama.
Godwin showed two characteristics of the snake that indicate it was born in the wild: its modest size and the absence of a PIT (passive integrated transponder) tag. The snakes can grow up to eight feet long as adults and the hatchling was noticeably smaller than those that were freed from captivity, which were typically at least two feet long. Additionally, PIT tags, which include tiny microchips enabling researchers to identify each animal by its particular code, are attached to the snakes before they are released.