Cocoplum is one of the Eastern Indigo Snakes at Busch Wildlife Sanctuary. Cocoplum was born in captivity with a herniated umbilical cord that required surgery. Surgery can affect a snake’s scales, which are needed for the snake’s protection, movement, and camouflage.
Cocoplum was brought to Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in 2019 and has been with us ever since. Because she has spent her life in captivity, Cocoplum is very used to human interaction and is often used in our educational programs to teach the public about her species.
The Eastern Indigo Snake is a federally threatened and protected species. The main threat facing the species is habitat destruction. In fact, Eastern Indigo Snakes lose more than 5% of their habitat annually in Florida. Our environment relies on snakes for pest control. Snakes eat those critters we’d rather not have in our house, such as ats, mice, roaches, and other snakes!
