Pituophis melanoleucus

Pine snake

The pine snake ( Pituophis melanoleucus ) is a non-poisonous snake with three subspecies.

Description

The diurnal and spirited pine snake reaches a length of 120 to 180 cm. Your basic color ranges from shades of light green to gray, the head is brownish. Pull over the entire back and on the flanks behind each hexagonal, black spots.

Dissemination

The pine snake inhabited prairies, dry pine and oak forests, scrublands and rocky deserts in central North America from southern Canada to northern Mexico.

Nutrition

The Pinesnakes consume large numbers of rodents and help agriculture. Many specialize in Gopherratten. Most also eat birds and their eggs.

Hibernation

Depending on the area of ​​distribution make the snakes a more or less extended hibernation. In northern or upland areas to about 4 months, in the southern and shallower areas, there may be only short rest breaks due to bad weather. In studies, it was found that the animals hibernate usually solitary. Many pine snakes hibernate in rodent burrows. Also nesting places are there in the immediate area to the wintering areas.

Subspecies

• Pine snakes, northern pine snake - Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus
• Florida pine snake, southern pine snake - Pituophis melanoleucus mugitus
• Black Pine Snake - Pituophis melanoleucus lodingi