Non-poisonous Snakes Identification

Pine Snake (Pituophis melanoleucus)

Pine snakes are large, fairly heavy-bodied snakes that average 48-66 inches. The ground color of pine snakes may be white, yellow, or light gray. There are usually dark, squarish, blotches on the sides and back that are lighter toward the tail and darker near the head. The belly is white with dark spots on the sides. Pine snakes also have a relatively small head compared to other large colubrids and have a snout that is somewhat pointed . They have four prefrontal scales, unlike most other colubrids, which have two.

Pine snakes are found across the Southeast, but their range is patchy. They are found throughout the Coastal Plain of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and throughout Florida , and in disjunct populations in the dry mountains of Virginia , Tennessee , and northern Georgia . A large, but isolated population occurs in the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey . Coastal Plain snakes prefer flat and dry habitats with open canopies and are most common in sand hill and sandy pine barren habitats. This species is also found quite often in stands of longleaf pine or turkey oak forest . Occasionally individuals are seen in abandoned fields and dry mountain ridges. They are often associated with pocket gophers and gopher tortoises. Infertile, sandy soils are important habitat for pine snakes because they dig both hibernacula and summer dens.

These snakes are excellent burrowers, spending the majority of their time underground. Their occasional surface activity can be observed in the spring through the fall, particularly May to October. Pine snakes are oviparous and lay their eggs in June through August. They are known to build communal nests, with several females laying eggs in one spot. The eggs are some of the largest of any US snake and hatchlings hatch out at over 12 in. in length. When pine snakes are first approached they tend to hiss very loudly, vibrate their tails, and strike.