If I recall, there is a different subspecies of Indigo Snake on Key largo, than on the mainland. When I went horse-back riding near Saraota, my rent-a-nag planted its front feet into the sandy ground, and I almost went head over heals. The rreason was a large Indigo Snake on the trail. There were also Gopher Tortoises there, which provided the dens for the Indigos. Unfortunately, that area was later turned into a sprawling housing devvelopment.

Phil Hotlen
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson at comcast.net>
> I got to reminiscing about south Florida, after reading Dennis
> Paulsen's message. I still vividly remember braking for a very long
> and heavy-looking Indigo Snake crossing the road in upper Key Largo
> (1964?, when on leave). I imagine there are very few Indigos there now.
>
> Phil Hotlen
> Bellingham, WA
>
> -----
>
> Phil, there are indeed very few Indigos down there now. They were
> common when I lived there a half-century ago, but they have suffered
> from both habitat destruction and overcollecting for the pet trade.
> They are strictly protected now, but that never has stopped the pet
> rustlers. But Netta saw the tail end of a snake crossing a path on
> the Loop Road (W of Miami) that was probably an Indigo, from her
> description of it. I was surprised not to see more snakes, and the
> only one I saw in a week was a surprise. I certainly should have
> remembered to mention it in my post, an 8-foot Burmese Python that we
> found dead on the road on the Tamiami Trail W of Miami. We drove past
> the snake, and I said something like "**** ****, that's the biggest
> snake I've ever seen in Florida," and wheeled the car around to check
> it. It was too badly damaged for a photo with any aesthetic value at
> all, but that's what it was, about 5 inches in diameter.
>
> So yes, there's another reason not to go swimming in the canals of
> southern Florida. Apparently there is a substantial population of
> large pythons in the Everglades! I suppose they're munching on
> Limpkins and Anhingas and other birds, as well as deer, raccoons,
> marsh rabbits, and river otters. I don't think crocodilians are major
> food items for pythons, but on the other hand, alligators are the
> most common large animals there. These two large predators are surely
> having some effect on the ecosystem, and they're interacting with one
> another as well, with several recorded cases of one killing the
> other. There's some irony in that.
> -----
> Dennis Paulson
> 1724 NE 98 St.
> Seattle, WA 98115
> 206-528-1382
> dennispaulson at comcast.net
>
> **** **** - revered excreta
>


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Subject: Re: critters in So. Fla
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