TR-SERDP-98-5Species Profile: Pine Snake (Pituophis melanoleucus spp.) on Military Installations in the Southeastern United States.

This report addresses the four subspecies of pine snake Pituophis melanoleucus that occur east of the Mississippi River Northern Pine Snake P. m. melanoleucus, Florida pine snake P. m. mugitus, Black Pine Snake P. m. lodingi, and Louisiana Pine Snake P. m. ruthveni. These subspecies typically inhabit areas of sandy soil dominated by scrub pines and shrubs, flat sandy pine barrens, sandhills, and dry mountain ridges. Pine snakes in the southeastern United States are former candidate species for listing as threatened or endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Louisiana subspecies is considered one of the rarest and least understood snakes in North America. Habitat loss and fragmentation appear to be the primary threats to the continued survival of pine snakes. Pine snakes have been documented on several military installations in the Southeast. This report is one of a series of Species Profiles being developed for threatened, endangered, and sensitive species inhabiting southeastern United States plant communities. The work is being conducted as part of the Department of Defense DoD Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program SERDP. The report is designed to supplement information provided in plant community management reports for major United States plant communities found on military installations. Information provided on pine snakes includes status, life history and ecology, habitat requirements, impacts and cause of decline, management and protection, and inventory and monitoring.