Louisiana Pine Snake

The Louisiana Pine Snake (Pituophis ruthveni) is a large, non-venomous constrictor of the Colubridae family. This powerful snake is notable because if its large eggs and small clutch sizes. The Louisiana Pine Snake is indigenous to west-central Louisiana and eastern Texas, where it relies strongly on the Baird's Pocket Gopher for its borrow system and as a food source. The Louisiana Pine Snake is rarely seen in the wild and is considered to be one of the rarest snakes in North America. The demise of the species is due its low fecundancy coupled with the extensive loss of suitable habitat - the Longleaf Pine savannas in the Gulf coastal plain of the southeastern United States. Management activities are being conducted to promote the species' recovery.