<div id="" class="kix-paragraphrenderer"> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><img class="wp-image-44164 size-thumbnail alignright" src="https://theenterprise.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2021/02/warning_1613591619-1024x902-1-150x150.png" alt="" width="150" height="150" />If you’ve seen a pine snake slithering around your property, the Virginia Tech Department of Fish and<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></div> </div> </div> <div id="" class="kix-paragraphrenderer"> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">Wildlife Conservation wants to know.<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node"></span></span></div> </div> </div> <div id="" class="kix-paragraphrenderer"> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">The nonvenomous snake was last seen in Virginia more than 30 years ago, and researchers want to get<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">an idea of how many are currently in the state for management and conservation.<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> </div> <div id="" class="kix-paragraphrenderer"> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">According to a press release from Virginia Tech, northern pine snake populations currently inhabit New<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">Jersey, Tennessee and the Carolinas, while southern populations are in Florida and Georgia and coastal<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">regions of Alabama and Mississippi. Researchers think there may be some in Virginia, as there are<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">several areas that would provide ideal habitats for them.<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> </div> <div id="" class="kix-paragraphrenderer"> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">They prefer places with sandy, well-drained soils or rock ridges, and they spend most of their lives just<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">below the ground.<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> </div> <div id="" class="kix-paragraphrenderer"> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">“One of the challenges when you have an animal that’s so secretive, sometimes its rarity is actually a<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">product of the fact that it’s very hard to see and observe,” explained Dr. Kevin Hamed, an assistant<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">professor of wildlife conservation and collection curation at Virginia Tech. “The numbers aren’t very<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">abundant, and where they’re living in that underground environment, people aren’t around to see them<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">when they’re active.”<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node"></span></span></div> </div> </div> <div id="" class="kix-paragraphrenderer"> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">He explained that pine snakes are valuable to the ecosystem because they eat small<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">mammals—particularly ones that burrow underground and disrupt crops, gardens and lawns, such as<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">moles.<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node"></span></span></div> </div> </div> <div id="" class="kix-paragraphrenderer"> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">“The pine snake is helpful in keeping those populations in check,” Hamed said.<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> </div> <div id="" class="kix-paragraphrenderer"> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">Virginia Tech is collaborating with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and the U.S. Forest<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">Service to collect data on the snake. </span><a class="kix-link" href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001jsgolOnjWnUp8yty3OXpoJnf1Nb4dcRPbQy1-yyULT6akM3BY8HvE9269d1TRnY_WZCd56gJL2eGf0cNyL726z_oVnXqCIX-RQBoDuiHosCxV1ivSFOOyF7x1UWYN2-uxqVsxI1Qo7Sbr6uVKRzPpy8mfV_zxW78&c=mgryrfMygyT-IyiMVNjbw5VsS6PWUQ3KDKD-dqESoEVM0bQy8wa_JQ==&ch=F6-nGHWvdz4ld_kdPOLD_k4q1Y0GM78oJFSUz9tgAflyqFTXHcuTNg==" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">According to the DWR</span></a><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">, pine snakes have previously been spotted in<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">Augusta, Bath, Botetourt and Craig counties—but their range could be much wider, expanding into the<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">Shenandoah and Giles areas. Observations typically are reported from April to October in other states.<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> </div> <div id="" class="kix-paragraphrenderer"> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">Hamed emphasized that despite having a loud, intimidating hiss when cornered or frightened, pine<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">snakes are harmless—they’re more frightened of people. However, as with any wild animal, people<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">should not attempt to catch them.<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node"></span></span></div> </div> </div> <div id="" class="kix-paragraphrenderer"> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">“Just take a picture with your phone,” he advised. “In case you misidentify one, we don’t want anyone to<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">possibly be bitten.”<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node"></span></span></div> </div> </div> <div id="" class="kix-paragraphrenderer"> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">Pine snakes average about 50 inches long, and their patterns typically have black blotches on a white<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">background or brown blotches on a tan or yellow background. They’re easily confused with two other<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">nonvenomous snakes in Virginia—the eastern hog-nosed snake and the eastern rat snake. <span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> </div> <div id="" class="kix-paragraphrenderer"> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">To report pine snake sightings, contact Hamed at 540-231-1887 or </span><a class="kix-link" href="mailto:khamed@vt.edu" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">khamed@vt.edu</span></a><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">. To learn more about<span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> <div class="kix-lineview kix-lineview-z-index"> <div class="kix-lineview-content"><span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">the pine snake project, visit </span><a class="kix-link" href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001jsgolOnjWnUp8yty3OXpoJnf1Nb4dcRPbQy1-yyULT6akM3BY8HvE9269d1TRnY_NOhHe4v5He8G4-eBSpDOp3o9PUYb_77qydqdZDP8Qa2ePh7qxvL0XtjZ02A4DnCeAEdrfxAUIsslPmuG-ayZ4TyQ29mWeSDN&c=mgryrfMygyT-IyiMVNjbw5VsS6PWUQ3KDKD-dqESoEVM0bQy8wa_JQ==&ch=F6-nGHWvdz4ld_kdPOLD_k4q1Y0GM78oJFSUz9tgAflyqFTXHcuTNg==" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node">pinesnake.fishwild.vt.edu.</span></a><span class="kix-wordhtmlgenerator-word-node"><span class="goog-inline-block"> </span></span></span></div> </div> </div>
