One of the less known parts of DuPuis is the Powerline Grade along the eastern perimeter. A one way trip is 13 miles long and can be traveled on foot, bike, horse, or car. As the name implies, the shellrock road parallels high tension power lines running south from the FPL Indiantown plant. The southern half of the road runs between a canal (with many resident alligators) and the adjacent Corbett WMA. You may also see otters, deer, birds and various Florida fauna. Bringing your camera is recommended. Happy caching!
The eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi) is a large snake native to the eastern United States. It is the longest snake native to the US; the longest recorded indigo was over 9 ft long. Indigos were originally particularly common to Florida because it prefers the sandhill and oak/pine enviroments found in much of the state, but is now considered threatened by habitat loss. It often lives in gopher tortoise burrows. The snake's name comes from its black-purple color.
Indigo snakes are carnivorous and like most such snakes it will eat just about any small animal it can catch and kill. They have a tendancy to prey on rattlesnakes since indigos are one of the few animals immune to rattlesnake venom. Ironically, when threatened, indigos will often hiss and shake their tails in immitation of rattlesnakes.