# Miscellaneous Herp Interests > Venomous Animals >  Texas snake that feeds on rattlesnakes?????

## Vanchesterfield

A guy at work and I were talking about snakes and he was trying to remember the name of a snake that was imported from Europe that was brought to Texas to help control the rattlesnake population. Anyone have a clue??

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## Patrick Long

I have never heard that.

But there are several species, including the Indigos that do consume rattlesnakes as a main diet.

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## jjmitchell

Dont know about imported animals.... Bull snakes are pretty abundant here in New Mexico and they eat rattle snakes.....

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## cordell

You are thinking of the Texas Indigo Snake, eats Rattlesnakes, even hunts them down! Farmers buy them by the dozen and release them here (Texas) to kill/eat Rattlesnakes of the farms.

http://www.texashuntworks.com/index....igo-Snake.html

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## Bellabob

Never heard of that, but kingsnakes are known to eat rattlesnakes.

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## Vanchesterfield

> Never heard of that, but kingsnakes are known to eat rattlesnakes.


Yeah he came in today with a picture off of the Internet of a kingsnake. Thanks for all your input everyone. I just had never heard that they were imported from Europe for that specific reason to tha specific region... Who am I to argue tho!!!

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## cordell

COPY/PASTE

The Texas Indigo snake, also known as the blue indigo or by its scientific name Drymarchon melanurus erebennus, is a species of snake that lives in Texas and Mexico. Ranchers love this snake because it is fond of eating rattlesnakes. Some locals call them blue snakes, indigo snakes and even king snakes. King snakes are an unrelated species. The reason that some people call them King snakes is that there is a persistent rumor, passed on through the generations, that this snake was imported by the owners of  the famous King Ranch of South Texas. The King ranch was founded by Captain Richard King and is still in existence today, encompassing over 860,000 acres. The story told by many South Texans is that Blue Indigo snakes were imported by Captain Richard King, or the latter owners of the King Ranch the Kleberg family, from India to control rattlesnakes. The problem with this story is that it is not true.
Texas indigo snakes have been living in the region, as far south as Veracruz Mexico, for thousands of years. I suspect that there may be some valid reason for the King Ranch connection with the indigo snake. It is possible that the King Ranchs owners may have instructed employees to catch any Texas indigo snakes outside of the property and relocate them on the ranch. This may have caused a concentration of blue snakes in the region and people began to associate them as originating from the King Ranch. The King Ranch has been responsible for introducing a number of exotic species, such as the Nilgai antelope to Texas and cultivating hybrid grasses such as King Ranch Bluestem, which has been spread around the state by the Texas Highway Department.
The Santa Gertrudis cattle breed originated on the ranch as well.  With such widespread programs of species importation it was not far fetched that the King Ranch imported the indigo snake to Texas. Texas indigo snakes are non poisonous. They can grow to lengths of up to nine feet or more. I grew up hearing stories of blue indigo snakes over ten feet long and have personally seen several over eight feet long in the wild.  The Texas indigo snake can swallow a rattlesnake whole and is mostly immune to the snakes venom. For this reason they are loved by farmers and ranchers. Sadly the pet snake trade has reduced their number. These are very tame snakes and their docile nature has been their downfall. I have seen them picked up and handled with little protest from the snake. When I was young and growing up in South Texas we had an indigo snake living under our house for several years. We were glad to have it there because where you find a blue indigo you will not find rattlesnakes.

     IT LOOKS LIKE A SPECKLED KING SNAKE!

Below is a photo of a Texas indigo snake from Wikipedia:


Blue indigo snakes are protected by law. They are non venomous and dont harm humans in any way. They are an essential part of the ecosystem and have evolved along with rattlesnakes and help keep that species under control.  If you see one dont move it or handle it. Let it go along its way. The rattlesnake it eats for dinner just might be the one that might have bitten you had the Texas indigo snake not been around.

END COPY/PASTE

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d_halloff (08-23-2010),Vanchesterfield (08-13-2010)

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## Bellabob

Never heard that before. But kingsnakes eat rattlesnakes, and other snakes, including their own species.

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## eracer

> Blue indigo snakes are protected by law. They are non venomous and dont harm humans in any way. They are an essential part of the ecosystem and have evolved along with rattlesnakes and help keep that species under control.  If you see one dont move it or handle it. Let it go along its way. The rattlesnake it eats for dinner just might be the one that might have bitten you had the Texas indigo snake not been around.


Years ago I was visiting my Mom in S. Florida, and the construction manager at the development where she worked had a big Indigo.  One of his workers had found it and taken it home.  The manager found out, and was none too pleased about this. He gave the man a choice - snake, or job.

The guy brought the snake back, gave it to his boss, who put it in his truck and was about to release it.  My Mom knew I liked snakes (as much as she fears them...) and asked the manager to swing by the house to let me see it.

I draped that beautiful 7-foot snake over my shoulders, and it was just as calm and cool as an eskimo in an igloo. :Very Happy: 

I remember to this day how amazed I was by the iridescent purple-blue color - truly a regal animal.

The manager let the snake go deep in the woods, and I've been a fan of Indigos ever since.  Part of me REALLY wants one, but they are protected here in Florida, and I won't break the law to satisfy my yearning.

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