Pine Snake - Black

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Alternative Name

Scientific Name: Pituophis melanoleucus lodingi

Basic Info

The Black Pine Snake averages about five feet in length, although they can reach up to eight feet. The Black Pine Snake is usually dark colored, either brown or black, with spots along the sides. They have keeled scales and a pointed snout. The rostral scale is larger than average and extends between the internasal scales.

Health

Breeding Female Black Pine Snakes lay a clutch of between four and eight very large eggs. The eggs are laid in the springtime in burrows or under large rocks or logs. The eggs usually hatch between 64 and 79 days. The hatchlings are between twelve and eighteen inches at birth.

Habitat

Making its home in pine and oak forests and fields, the Black Pine Snake will often hide in burrows or under rocks.

Behavior

The Black Pine Snake is quite rare and is considered an endangered species. Private owners rarely keep them. In the wild, Black Pine Snakes distrust humans, but captive-bred Black Pine Snakes can be fairly docile. They are aggressive, especially in the wild. When threatened, they will vibrate the end of their tail against the ground and make a loud hissing noise. The hissing sound is meant to intimidate the enemy and is usually accompanied by a strike. The vibration of the tail, especially amid dry vegetation, often resembles the sound of a rattlesnake. The Black Pine Snake is primarily diurnal, meaning it is active during the day, however, in warm weather it may shift to nocturnal activity. When the egg is about eight inches down their neck, they press their body against the ground. The pressure of their body against the ground breaks the egg, which they swallow along with the shell. Hen's eggs are a good size for consumption by the Black Pine Snake, and they are capable of robbing a nest of several eggs at once. The only known predator of the Black Pine Snake is man.

Origin

Southern United States

History

Originally native throughout Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama, the Black Pine Snake now only exists in the Washington Park region of Louisiana, three counties in Alabama, and fourteen counties in southern Mississippi. They are an endangered species in Mississippi and a protected non-game species in Alabama. Most of the Black Pine Snakes in existence live in DeSoto National Forest in Mississippi. The current conservation status of the Black Pine Snake is now undetermined as they were once part of the now defunct Category 2 of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This category, which has been eliminated, was reserved for animals that little information existed on and were therefore not able to be classified as threatened or endangered.

Common Foods

The Black Pine Snake feeds primarily on small vertebrates including rabbits, squirrels, and birds. The Black Pine Snake also eats bird eggs, which they swallow whole.