(CNN) — Officials in Florida have released 15 of the longest reptiles in America into the wild in an effort to re-establish the threatened eastern indigo snake as a top predator in the area.
The indigo snakes were set free in a nature preserve near Tallahassee, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.
Eastern indigo snakes are North America’s longest. They can grow to over eight feet in length.
Scientists say the snakes serve a critical function in controlling small animal populations.
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