Public asked to report pinesnake sightings in Virginia
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Have you seen a pinesnake? If so, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and the U.S. Forest Service want to hear from you.
The pine snake is a nonvenomous snake last documented in Virginia more than 30 years ago.
But the Virginia Tech Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, in collaboration with the state and federal agencies, is tracking the possibility that the snakes are again in the state.
If you observe a pinesnake, contact Assistant Professor Kevin Hamed (540-231-1887 or khamed@vt.edu). If possible and safe, take a photograph of the snake and record the details of the area where you observed it. You may find pinesnakes in areas with sandy, well-drained soils or dry rock ridges.
Northern populations of the pinesnake are found in disjunct locations in New Jersey, Tennessee, and the Carolinas. Southern pinesnake populations are found in Georgia, Florida, and coastal regions in Mississippi and Alabama.
Pinesnakes (also known as bull snakes) provide ecosystem services to humans by preying on many creatures that cause homeowners problems, such as small mammals. Officials want to gain a better understanding of their current distribution in Virginia in order to manage and conserve them. Several areas of Virginia have ideal habitats that could support pinesnakes.
The pinesnake averages about 50 inches in length and often has black blotches on a white background or brown blotches on a tan or yellowish background. When threatened, it will expel air quickly, producing a loud hiss, which can be intimidating but poses no danger.
Two other nonvenomous snakes present in Virginia may be confused with the pinesnake. The eastern hog-nosed snake, which averages about 25 inches in length, has dark blotches with red, orange, yellow, gray, olive, brown, or black background colors. The juvenile eastern ratsnake is heavily patterned, with a light color underneath and patches of darker reddish brown or rusty black overlaying the lighter base. Most also have a distinct eye stripe that extends from eye to eye across the top of the skull.
