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Home > Coniferous Forest Animals > Pine Snake

Pine Snake

Pine snakes are heavily-built, non-venomous, colubrid snake found near Southeastern US. Although not poisonous, bites from a pine snake are sure to hurt.

Pine Snake

Scientific Classification

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Reptilia
Order Squamata
Suborder Serpentes
Family Colubridae
Genus Pituophis
Scientific Name Pituophis melanoleucus

Pine Snake Images

Photo of Pine Snake

Quick Information

Also known as Pinesnake, Common pine snake, Black and white snake, Bullsnake, Chicken snake, North American pine snake, Pilot snake, White gopher snake
Description

Size: 48-100 in (120-250 cm) in length

Weight: 4-8 lb (1.8-3.6 kg)

Color: A light background color blotched with brown, black, or brownish-red

Sexual Dimorphism: None

Distribution & Subspecies There are three recognized subspecies of the pine snake:

  • Northern pine snake (P. m. melanoleucus)
  • Black pine snake (P. m. lodingi)
  • Florida pine snake (P. m. mugitus)

They can be found in the states of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Delaware

Habitat Prairies, pine-oak woodlands, pine flatwoods, cultivated fields, rocky deserts, and chaparrals
Sounds & Calls Hisses; when confronted they emit a warning sounding by vibrating its epiglottis simultaneously vibrating its tail, thus mimicking a rattlesnake; they also make a loud bellow to appear intimidating
Lifespan The life expectancy in the wild is unknown, but in captivity, they can live for up to 22½ years
Diet Mice, rats, moles, and eggs
Adaptations
  • The snout is pointed, and the rostral scale is enlarged to help them burrow underground
  • They have evolved to mimic the venomous and feared rattlesnake to evade predators
  • Hatchlings can pick up chemical traces of king snakes and avoid those areas
Predators Shrews, raccoons, skunks, red foxes, domestic cats and dogs
IUCN Conservation Status Least Concern

Northern Pine Snake

Pine Snake Pictures

Behavior

  • Pine snakes are diurnal, being active during the day. Some subspecies, however, exhibit nocturnal habits.
  • They are most active between March-April and October-November, spending the rest of the year hibernating through the colder the months.
  • They are largely terrestrial but may climb on to trees and small bushes.
  • They are foragers and kill their prey by constriction.
  • They regulate their body temperature by basking in the sun.
  • Females show loyalty to their nesting sites, returning every year.

Pine Snakes

Picture of Pine Snake

Mating & Reproduction

These snakes breed once every year. Female breeding cycles occur between April and May. Clutches consisting of 3-24 eggs are laid around June to August. The female lays her eggs under large rocks and sandy burrows. There is no parental care once the eggs are laid. The incubation period lasts for 64-79 days.

Life-cycle

Hatchlings are 13-18 in (33-45 cm). They reach sexual maturity at around 3 years of age.

Pine Snake Baby

Pine Snake Eggs

Interesting Fact

  • There are escaped and released pet pine snakes that have established a population in Holland in the forest near Wassenaar.

References:

  1. http://herpsofnc.org/pine-snake/
  2. https://snake-facts.weebly.com/pine-snake.html
  3. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/63873/0
  4. http://eol.org/pages/791056/details#behavior
  5. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pituophis_melanoleucus/

Published on July 2nd 2018 by Sudipto Chakrabarti under Coniferous Forest Animals.
Article was last reviewed on 2nd July 2018.

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