Indigo snake slowly healing at CROW

An indigo snake SCCF has surveyed since 2013 was brought to CROW with numerous wounds at the end of November.
While doing a survey on North Captiva Island Friday, Nov. 25, a resident of the island called SCCF Wildlife and Habitat Management Program Director Chris Lechowicz after finding an indigo snake.
“All of the people know about the project and know when we are on the island doing surveys,” he said of the Pine Island Sound Eastern Indigo Snake Project, which began in 2012 when permits were obtained.
The indigo snake, which was captured for the first time in 2013 was about 4 feet long and 2 years old. The snake, who has been coined as “Jimmy” now measures more than 7 feet long and is approximately six years old.
Lechowicz said Jimmy had puncture marks all the way down his body and his tail was ripped open. Due to the injuries the indigo snake was brought to CROW.
Jimmy has been captured every year since 2013.
CROW Veterinary Intern Spencer Kehoe said Friday, Dec. 2 that some of the wounds, which were most likely caused by a small dog, were still open. He estimated that there were anywhere from 50 to 60 puncture marks in total.
The initial X-rays showed that the worse bite, resulting in six or seven fractures, was near the indigo snake’s microchip. The X-ray also showed that Jimmy had an old trauma that healed midway down its back.
Since the indigo snake arrived at CROW, staff has been cleaning the wounds daily. While Kehoe and a few other interns were cleaning the wounds last Friday they also used CapStar after finding maggot larva inside one of the bite wounds.
He said the larva was the result of fleas laying eggs within the wounds. The various treatments, Kehoe said will help prevent additional maggots, bacteria and fungus from growing.
While Jimmy stays at CROW it resides in the reptile room that has ideal temperatures and humidity to help the healing process. Nutrition, Kehoe said, is also important.
The indigo snake has to go through multiple sheds before it can be released.
“The injuries encourages to shed early,” he said.
Every year, Lechowicz said they survey North Captiva, Cayo Costa and Pine Island for indigo snakes during their mating season November through March because that is when they are out traveling looking for their mate.
“The indigo snakes are in a major decline. They used to be found on most of the barrier islands. Now the only known population is here in Pine Island Sound. We are studying what we think is the last population on the islands,” he said.
The last indigo snake to be found on Sanibel was in 1999. That snake was run over by a bicycle on Indigo Trail and died the following day.
The indigo snake strives in environments that have large scraps of land. Once a road is added to the land, the population declines because they end up getting hit by a car.
“They spend a lot of time traveling around during the day. Roads is what does them in,” Lechowicz said. “That’s why we don’t have them on Sanibel. Even though we have more than enough conservation land, it’s mostly because of traffic. They can’t get across the street. The more developments we make, the more indigos go away.”
Unfortunately on Pine Island, the situation is somewhat similar because many of the indigo snakes are hit by cars along Stringfellow Road.
The population on North Captiva Island and Cayo Costa thrive a little more because most human transportation is done by golf cart.
“North Captiva has a healthy population, but a very small population. If they lose a couple of animals it can be detrimental,” he said of the up to three dozen snakes on the entire island. “We capture the same snakes over and over again.”
Although Cayo Costa is a large island, SCCF does not have many captures on the island, partially due to the wild hogs that also call the island home. As far as Pine Island, the indigo snakes are found on the plantations where citrus and palm trees are grown.
“We don’t know how many are out there,” Lechowicz said, adding that the number of road kills has seen an increase.
The indigo snake has been protected since 1971 because individuals would take them out of the wild and turn them into pets.
“They are the largest snake in the United States . . . record size near 9 feet long,” he said of the docile snake. “They rarely bite. They are a big black snake that does not have a fear of people. They kind of ignore us.”
Lechowicz works with individuals that also have federal permits to capture the indigo snakes on the three islands. Once he arrives he takes the snakes measurements, puts a micro chip in it and takes genetic sample before it’s released.
Through signs found on North Captiva Island and lectures done on all three islands – North Captiva Island, Pine Island and Cayo Costa, Lechowicz tries to educate the community about the indigo snake.
“We are trying to make residents aware,” he said.
One of the ways SCCF is trying to educate the community is through their indigo snake breeding program. Lechowicz said they give the snake to nature centers and educators that do education work to show people not to be afraid of snakes.
“All of these remaining populations have unique genetic codes. Even though they look the same, they could never go back into the wild,” he said.
The most common snake found on Sanibel is the black racer, which is much smaller in size and width, and has a white underbelly. The indigo snake typically ranges from 5 to 7 feet, width as thick as a PVC pipe and has a hint of red on its face.