I generally will use a hook to take an animal out of the enclosure, and will use my free hand to grab them mid body once they begin to retreat ,they will let you know when they are done being handled. Northern pine snakes are more likely to follow through with their threatening behavior with an actual strike, however once out of their cage they seem to calm down, and will subside with frequent handling. With most Pituophis particularly bull snakes these displays are generally bluff, and mainly associated with cage defensiveness, more often than not these snakes will retreat when encountered and become dismissive allowing handling….this does not seem to be as common with northern pine snakes. In fact this genus is literally built for this display as their namesake Pituophis indicates, Pituophis roughly translates to mucus membrane, and refers to their overly developed epiglottis allowing this genus to be the loudest hissers of all the snakes in the world. These snakes will rear up, inflate, rattle, hiss, and strike. Pine snakes like all members of the genus Pituophis ( pine, bull, and gopher snakes) are known for their theatrical displays when threatened. In the wild you will find pine snakes inhabiting pine flatwoods, woodlands, prairies, and brushlands where they use their slightly pointed head to burrow under soil, leafs, and other vegetation.īehavior and Husbandry:Northern pine snakes, particularly those in the northwest region are beautiful animals, but if you ask any keeper (myself included) the main draw to them is their personality. These snakes are truly a sight to behold, and pictures do not tend to do it justice. This locale of the northern pine snake from my experience tends to be the most vivacious not only in appearance, but in size and attitude as well. The premiere representation of this species in my opinion can be found in New Jersey, specifically the Pine Barrens. As I stated previous, there is noticeable variance in appearance across these various locales. However the jewels of the species are found in southeastern Kentucky, eastern Tennessee, northern Georgia, southern North Carolina, west through South Carolina, and to the northeast in Virginia, Delaware, and New Jersey. P.m.lodingi in southwestern Alabama to eastern Louisiana. mugitus in Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, and southern South Carolina. melanoleucus can be found throughout the United States as P.m. Their scales are somewhat keeled and earth toned, with brilliant hues of black white, gray, brown, and red present, there will be variance phenotypically within range and locality. Melanoleucus are most identifiable with their slightly pointed head augmented by an enlarged rostral scale that extends between the internasal scales, usually four prefrontal scales are visible. Simply stating their length can be a bit misleading as this animal is heavy bodied and makes their presence known, making six feet seem more like sixty.
Description:Northern pine snakes are a powerfully built colubrid, routinely hitting the six foot mark, with certain specimens reaching seven, and even eight feet in length.
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