Rocky, a federally protected indigo snake, was killed in February. Georgia officials are investigating. Caption Rocky the indigo snake, pictured when researchers captured him in November 2020, was killed in February 2021. Credit: Oscar Thompson, UGA Coastal Ecology Lab Wildlife officials in Georgia are investigating the death of a rare indigo snake named Rocky who was killed last month. Eastern Indigo Snakes are a threatened species, so they’re federally protected. It’s also illegal to kill nonvenomous snakes in Georgia. Harassing or killing a species protected by the Endangered Species Act is a felony punishable by fines, prison time and the revocation of hunting privileges. Killing a nonvenomous snake in Georgia carries a fine of up to $1,000 and up to a year in prison.