South Region - Hiking Alabama: A Guide to the State's Greatest Hiking Adventures - page 162

Open Pond Recreation Area, Conecuh National Forest, Open Pond Road, An-
dalusia; [phone]; www.fs.fed.us/r8/alabama; 65 improved sites with water
and electricity and 10 primitive sites
Restaurants
Larry's Bar B Que, 1309 MLK Expressway, Andalusia; [phone]
The Eastern Indigo Snake
When you're hiking on state and federal lands in south
Alabama, you will see a sign posted on kiosks, a
wanted poster of sorts, that reads”Protected Species:
Eastern Indigo Snake—DO NOT HARM!”
The eastern indigo is one of the rarest snakes in the
region. They thrive in open, sandy, dry environments
like those provided by longleaf forests. Due to the
decimation of longleafs in the South and the decline in
gopher tortoise populations (a favorite home for the
snake is in the tortoise's burrow, often sharing the
space), the indigo has become a threatened species.
The indigo is so rare that scientists say that the
chances of spotting one are extremely slim. The snake
is thick in diameter, with a bluish-black color, and can
grow up to 8 feet long. Many people mistake black
racers or black pine snakes for indigos. The biggest
difference is that indigos are smooth-skinned, while the
others have scales. It is nonvenomous and rarely bites,
but it has a unique defense—it imitates a rattlesnake
by shaking its tail and hissing.
The USDA Forest Service and Alabama Department
of Conservation and Natural Resources are working
hard to reestablish longleaf forests throughout the re-