Dorsally, the Texas indigo snake is predominantly black in color, with a high sheen which gives its smooth scales a remarkable iridescent hue.

It is a large snake, regularly attaining a total length (including tail) beyond 6 ft (1.8 m).

The Texas indigo snake prefers lightly vegetated areas not far from permanent water sources, but is also found in mesquite savannah, open grassland areas, and coastal sand dunes.

It is not a typically aggressive snake, but may bite or release a foul smelling musk from its cloaca if handled or harassed.

Each snake requires a large home range to forage, and urban sprawl is shrinking its usable habitat.