Pine Snake

Fascinating facts about the Pine Snake

• At up to 90 in (230 cm) long, the eastern pine snake can slip into tight rodent burrows where it can press multiple prey against the walls.
• When threatened, the snake forces air through its lungs to vibrate the epiglottis, producing a hiss, then may flatten its head, vibrate its tail, and strike.
• Females lay clutches ranging from three to 24 eggs, each about 66 mm long, and the embryos incubate for 64–79 days at an optimal 26-28 °C. Warmer or cooler nests can cause deformities, highlighting how narrowly their reproductive success balances on temperature.
• Communal hibernation spots have been documented in New Jersey, while pine snakes in Tennessee tend to hibernate alone.
• The species is found in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Delaware and Virginia, from sea level up to 9,000 ft (2,700 m), in fire-prone, well-drained sandy soils across pine flatwoods to rocky chaparral.

At a glance

About the Pine Snake

The eastern pine snake, Pituophis melanoleucus, is a strikingly banded colubrid that can stretch from 48 to 90 inches (120–230 cm) in total length. Its light base is overlaid with bold black, brown or reddish-brown blotches, and a small, pointed head bears an enlarged rostral scale that juts upward between the internasal scales. At mid-body it carries 27–37 rows of keeled dorsal scales, giving it a rugged, muscular appearance suited to its powerful build. This non-venomous predator roams the pine flatwoods, sandy pine-oak woodlands, prairies, cultivated fields, open brushland, rocky deserts and chaparral of the southeastern United States, from sea level up to 9,000 ft (2,700 m). It favors well-drained, sandy soils with sparse vegetation, often in fire-maintained habitats where it can burrow for nesting and hibernation. A nocturnal forager, the pine snake slides into rodent burrows to hunt rats, mice, moles and other small mammals, sometimes killing multiple prey by pressing them against burrow walls. Its diet also includes eggs, which it locates in the nests of ground-nesting birds. When threatened, it produces a loud hiss by forcing air over a vibrating epiglottis, may flatten its head, vibrate its tail, and strike, behaviors that can startle larger animals. One surprising trait is its communal hibernation: in New Jersey, individuals cluster together in shared hibernacula, while in places like Tennessee they hibernate solitarily, illustrating a flexible social strategy that hinges on local conditions.

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