Wanted! North American Indigo(s)

I'm in search of black indigos. I'm not even sure if it's legal to have them so please let me know. I know they are endangered but I want to breed them to help the population. I plan to release most of them and just keep enough to keep the process going. Any info would be greatly appreciated. thanx.

Just to play along with this. Where do you plan on releasing them?

Jesse,

There is no such thing as a "black indigo", the Eastern Indigo that you are likely referring to (although while sometimes solid-colored and often very deep purple and iridescent, is not 'black') is NOT native to San Diego or anywhere west of Georgia these days, and yes, there are permits needed; these are usually free if buying from a breeder in your own state, but there is a federal permit needed for inter-state commerce that costs $25. These permits are not guaranteed, and take weeks if not months to get back to you.

I appreciate your zeal... they have been my favorite snakes since I was little. However, a large part of conservation is KNOWLEDGE, and it sounds like you might do best for now to LEARN all you can about the Drymarchon genus. Only when you know a LOT are you qualified to initiate or participate in any kind of re-introduction exercises.

Start at www.indigosnakes.com and go from there...

Drymarchon c couperi / erebennus

Well, there are actually 2 subspecies of Drymarchon in the US, both known as Indigos.
The first, and probably what you are referencing, would be Drymarchon corais couperi, or better known as, the Eastern Indigo Snake. While this sub is occasionally available, they are quite expensive, generally commanding 700.00 - 900.00 for babies. Also, USF&W permits are required for interstate commerce only, as there are no permits required from the USF&W for intrastate commerce, as wrongfully noted in another post. However, several states require permits as well, so you may be looking at the acquisition of one, and possibly two, permits, if your state will allow you to keep D. c couperi at all.
The Texas Indigo (Drymarchon corais erebennus) is protected by the Great State of Texas only, so specimens require no permit for interstate or intrastate commerce. However, no specimens may be taken from the wild and you must be very careful as to what specimens you acquire, as there are several integrates out there, thanks to profiteers looking to make a buck on a desirable specimen.
It has been my experience, the further North D. c couperi are found within their respective range, the less red and white coloration you will find in them.
While indigo is the color which best fits specimens in the US, they certainly are of black appearance.
Being raised in So Dade Co. Florida, I used to capture D. c couperi quite readily, as a child, though I never encountered a solid black specimen in Florida, I have encountered such specimens, further North, in Southern Georgia many years ago.
Also, Robert Bruce, who maintains a very sizeable collection of D. c couperi, recently sold a sizeable group of black (indigo) specimens not so very long ago, so such specimens are, and with any luck, should continue to become available on an infrequent basis. Personally, I find the contrast of the red-chinned specimens to be much more appealing, though this may have something to do with such specimens being the first Drymarchon I ever had exposure to.
While raising, and releasing, large groups of offspring may seem sensible, there is actually much data which suggests, this is not a beneficial tool for conservation and may even be detrimental to existing wild populations, as well as the introduced specimens.
For more information regarding Drymarchon care and conservation, I suggest you go to www.indigosnakes.com. You will find a wealth of information there.
I currently maintain a small, yet diverse, group of Drymarchon, which include 2.2 D. c couperi (Eastern Indigo), 2.2 D. c erebennus (Texas Indigo), 3.3 D. c rubidus (Mexican Red-tail Cribo), 4.4 D. c corais (Yellow-tail Cribo), 2.2 D. c unicolor (Unicolor Cribo) and 2.2 D. c melanurus (Black-tail Cribo), and I have found all members of the Drymarchon complex a complete joy to keep. They are all very intelligent, inquisitive creatures and I am fortunate to have the honor of working with them.
A few words of caution though. Drymarchon require a high level of responsibility. While not the most difficult genus to keep, they do require a much higher level of maintenance and VERY large enclosures, due to their size, metabolism and activity level, but once you have one, you will find it is a worthwhile endeavor.

Best regards,

Jeff Snodgres

OK, correct me if I'm wrong, but it says you live in San Diego. Neither the Eastern nor the Texas Indigo is native to San Diego. Why would you want to let them loose where they are not native? They like high humidity and you aren't going to find that in San Diego.