Reptiles of North Carolina

Scientific Name:	Common Name:		Family (Alpha):

NC Records
Colubridae Members:
Pituophis melanoleucus - Eastern Pinesnake

Photo: ASH

Photo: ASH, K. Hyre, T. Heffner

Taxonomy

Class: Reptilia

Order: Serpentes

Family: Colubridae

Subfamily: Colubrinae

Other Common Name(s): Northern Pine Snake

- Eastern Pinesnake


Taxonomic Comments: Pituophis consists of 7 species of large-bodied colubrid snakes, the majority of which range across western North America from southern Canada to Guatemala.
Species Comments: Pituophis melanoleucus, the Eastern Pinesnake, is the only Pituophis in North Carolina. This species has a fragmented distribution in the southeastern United States, with scattered records from middle Tennessee and southern North Carolina to Florida. A relict allopatric population exists in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, but there appears to be no extant populations in between; a possibly extirpated population was known from central Virginia. In North Carolina, Eastern Pinesnakes appear restricted to the Sandhills and extreme southeastern part of the state's Coastal Plain. A few scattered records also exist for the southern Mountain region, though none recently have been recorded in that area. Most Pituophis in the USA were considered subspecies of a transcontinental P. melanoleucus until Rodriguez-Robles and De Jesus-Escobar (2000) revised the genus and restricted P. melanoleucus to the eastern populations. Though some authors still recognize three subspecies (P. m. melanoleucus, P. m. lodingi, and P. m. mugitus), the subspecific taxonomy is not supported by molecular studies. Nikolakis et al. (2022) found little genetic differentiation across the entire range of the species, with "shallow population genomic structuring and moderate levels of gene flow across the entire species distribution" (9). A more recent genomic study (Khakurel et al., 2023) found population substructure that also did not conform to subspecies as currently described. Thus, subspecific taxonomy does not reflect the evolutionary history of the species. The generic epithet Pituophis is derived from the Greek pitys, "pine", and ophios, "serpent". The specific epithet melanoleucus is derived from the Greek melanos, "black", and leukos, "white". Taxonomic References: Sweet and Parker (1990); Rodriguez-Robles and De Jesus-Escobar (2000); Nikolakis et al. (2022), Khakurel et al. (2023).

Identification

Description: Eastern Pinesnakes are large, heavy-bodied snakes with relatively small heads. Their base dorsal coloration is white, tan, or yellowish, with black to dark red body blotches that are often blurred anteriorly with dark lateral blotches, while the body blotches are more distinct posteriorly. The venter is glossy white and typically mottled with black markings on the lateral edges. The head is typically as light as the primary dorsal color, with dark mottling all over; noticeable dark bars are present on the supralabials.

Morphological Features: Eastern Pinesnakes typically have 27-31 smooth scale rows at midbody (some as high as 33). Ventral counts range from 203-249 (206-226 in NC specimens; Palmer and Braswell, 1995), with 29-67 (47-64) subcaudals and an undivided anal plate. Head scale counts are typically as follows: 8 supralabials, 12-14 infralabials, 1 small loreal, 2 nasals, 1 large preocular, 3 postoculars, and 1+3-4+4-6 temporals. Palmer and Braswell (1995) noted variation in scalation across multiple specimens in NC.

Eastern Pinesnakes have a maximum recorded total length of 228.6 cm (90 inches). Palmer and Braswell (1995) reported a 181.8 cm male specimen from NC. Tail lengths account for approximately 10-14% of total length. Males have relatively longer tails with more subcaudals, fewer ventrals, and lower dorsal scale row counts than females.

Eastern Pinesnakes do not have enlarged posterior teeth or Duvernoy's glands, meaning they are incapable of producing venom. When provoked, they hiss loudly, vibrate their tail and strike. When captured, they will thrash about and attempt to bite.

Technical Reference: Palmer and Braswell (1995); Ernst and Ernst (2003).

Field Guide Descriptions: Palmer and Braswell (1995); Ernst and Ernst (2003); Beane et al. (2010).

Online Photos: Google iNaturalist GBIF

Observation Methods: Eastern Pinesnakes are fossorial, and difficult to find. Most are found either on roads or under cover objects, or in burrows.

Distribution in North Carolina

County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.

Key Habitat Requirements

Habitat: This species is fossorial and requires loose soils for burrowing. The majority of our records for Pinesnakes come from xeric pine-oak woodlands of sand barrens in the Coastal Plain (Palmer and Braswell,1995). Habitats used in the mountains are poorly known but probably consist of dry pine-oak woodlands (Beane et al., 2010; Gibbons, 2017).

Life History and Autecology

Breeding and Courtship: Pinesnakes reach sexual maturity at snout-to-vent lengths greater than 120 cm. Mating occurs in the spring (April and May).

Reproductive Mode: Pinesnakes are oviparous and typically lay eggs in late spring and summer (May to July) that hatch in late summer or fall (August to October). Clutches average 8 white, leathery, elliptical and adherent eggs that are the largest of our native snakes, averaging 57–63 mm long.

Hatchlings are approximately 44 cm in total length and are heavy, weighing approximately 42 g (Palmer and Braswell, 1995; Ernst and Ernst, 2003).

Terrestrial Life History: Pinesnakes are highly fossorial and seem to be almost strictly diurnal. They spend the majority of their time underground in burrows, but many records come from incidental encounters on roads or under cover. Pinesnakes have been recorded in North Carolina from March–November, and are thought to hibernate in the winter.

Home range estimates are not known from North Carolina. Elsewhere, home ranges are estimated to be fairly large. In the New Jersey Pine Barrens, Pinesnakes were estimated to have average home ranges greater than 105 hectares (1,050,000 m²; Zappalorti et al., 2015). Home ranges for Pinesnakes in middle Tennessee averaged nearly 60 hectares (600,000 m²; Gerald et al., 2006).

General Ecology

Adverse Environmental Impacts

Status in North Carolina

NHP State Rank: S2

Global Rank: G4

Status in North Carolina: T

Photo Gallery for Pituophis melanoleucus - Eastern Pinesnake		7 photos are shown.
	Recorded by: Will Gibson Brunswick Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Will Gibson Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Will Gibson Brunswick Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Jackie Goodman Hoke Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: ASH, K. Hyre, T. Heffner Moore Co. Comment:	Recorded by: ASH Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Susan Campbell Moore Co. Comment:

Pituophis melanoleucus - Eastern Pinesnake

Photo Gallery for Pituophis melanoleucus - Eastern Pinesnake

7 photos are shown.