Pituophis melanoleucus

Apr 23, 2026 - 23:15
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Pituophis melanoleucus

← Previous revision Revision as of 17:44, 23 April 2026
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===Reproduction===
===Reproduction===
[[File:Southern Pine Snake eggs.jpg|thumb|Southern pine snake eggs]]
[[File:Southern Pine Snake eggs.jpg|thumb|Southern pine snake eggs]]
After mating has taken place in spring, [[Clutch (eggs)|clutches]] of three to 24 eggs are laid in June–August. The snakes excavate nests themselves {{cite journal |last1=Burger |first1=Joanna |last2=Zappalorti |first2=Robert T. |title=Nest Site Selection by Pine Snakes, Pituophis melanoleucus, in the New Jersey Pine Barrens |journal=Copeia |date=February 10, 1986 |volume=1986 |issue=1 |pages=116-121 |doi=https://doi.org/10.2307/1444896 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1444896 |access-date=April 23, 2026}}in sandy burrows or under large rocks or logs and hatch after 64–79 days of incubation. The optimal temperature for incubation is 26-28 °C, with adverse effects, such as morphological abnormalities, occurring outside of this optimal range.{{Cite journal |last=Burger |first=Joanna |date=2026 |title=Perspectives on the Effect of Incubation Temperature on Pine Snake Hatchlings |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eth.70039 |journal=Ethology |language=en |volume=132 |issue=3 |pages=149–174 |doi=10.1111/eth.70039 |issn=0179-1613}} They are known to build communal nests, with several females laying eggs in the same spot.Species Profile: Pine Snake (''Pituophis melanoleucus'') | Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Herpetology, https://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/pitmel.htm. Tend to make nests in clearings with minimal tree cover.{{Cite journal |last1=Burger |first1=Joanna |last2=Zappalorti |first2=Robert T. |date=1986 |title=Nest Site Selection by Pine Snakes, ''Pituophis melanoleucus'', in the New Jersey Pine Barrens |journal=Copeia |volume=1986 |issue=1 |pages=116–121 |doi=10.2307/1444896 |jstor=1444896 |issn=0045-8511}} The eggs are adherent and quite large, up to {{convert|66|mm|in|abbr=on}} long by {{convert|45|mm|in|abbr=on}} wide. Hatchlings measure {{convert|33|–|45|cm|in|abbr=on}}. Eggs laid on wetter substrate tended to produce larger hatchlings than those laid on dryer substrate.{{Cite journal |last1=Gutzke |first1=William H.N. |last2=Packard |first2=Gary C. |date=Jan–Feb 1987 |title=Influence of the Hydric and Thermal Environments on Eggs and Hatchlings of Bull Snakes ''Pituophis melanoleucus'' |journal=Physiological Zoology |language=en |volume=60 |issue=1 |pages=9–17 |doi=10.1086/physzool.60.1.30158624 |s2cid=87772315 |issn=0031-935X}}
After mating has taken place in spring, [[Clutch (eggs)|clutches]] of three to 24 eggs are laid in June–August. The snakes excavate nests themselves {{cite journal |last1=Burger |first1=Joanna |last2=Zappalorti |first2=Robert T. |title=Nest Site Selection by Pine Snakes, Pituophis melanoleucus, in the New Jersey Pine Barrens |journal=Copeia |date=February 10, 1986 |volume=1986 |issue=1 |pages=116-121 |doi=https://doi.org/10.2307/1444896 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1444896 |access-date=April 23, 2026}}in sandy burrows or under large rocks or logs and hatch after 64–79 days of incubation. The optimal temperature for incubation is 26-28 °C, with adverse effects, such as morphological abnormalities, occurring outside of this optimal range.{{Cite journal |last=Burger |first=Joanna |date=2026 |title=Perspectives on the Effect of Incubation Temperature on Pine Snake Hatchlings |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eth.70039 |journal=Ethology |language=en |volume=132 |issue=3 |pages=149–174 |doi=10.1111/eth.70039 |issn=0179-1613}} They are known to build communal nests, with several females laying eggs in the same spot.Species Profile: Pine Snake (''Pituophis melanoleucus'') | Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Herpetology, https://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/pitmel.htm. Tend to make nests in clearings with minimal tree cover to eliminate digging obstacles.{{Cite journal |last1=Burger |first1=Joanna |last2=Zappalorti |first2=Robert T. |date=1986 |title=Nest Site Selection by Pine Snakes, ''Pituophis melanoleucus'', in the New Jersey Pine Barrens |journal=Copeia |volume=1986 |issue=1 |pages=116–121 |doi=10.2307/1444896 |jstor=1444896 |issn=0045-8511}} {{cite journal |last1=Burger |first1=Joanna |last2=Zappalorti |first2=Robert T. |title=Nest Site Selection by Pine Snakes, Pituophis melanoleucus, in the New Jersey Pine Barrens |journal=Copeia |date=February 10, 1986 |volume=1986 |issue=1 |pages=116-121 |doi=https://doi.org/10.2307/1444896 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1444896 |access-date=April 23, 2026}}in sandy burrows or under large rocks or logs and hatch after 64–79 days of incubation.The eggs are adherent and quite large, up to {{convert|66|mm|in|abbr=on}} long by {{convert|45|mm|in|abbr=on}} wide. Hatchlings measure {{convert|33|–|45|cm|in|abbr=on}}. Eggs laid on wetter substrate tended to produce larger hatchlings than those laid on dryer substrate.{{Cite journal |last1=Gutzke |first1=William H.N. |last2=Packard |first2=Gary C. |date=Jan–Feb 1987 |title=Influence of the Hydric and Thermal Environments on Eggs and Hatchlings of Bull Snakes ''Pituophis melanoleucus'' |journal=Physiological Zoology |language=en |volume=60 |issue=1 |pages=9–17 |doi=10.1086/physzool.60.1.30158624 |s2cid=87772315 |issn=0031-935X}}


==Conservation status==
==Conservation status==
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