Description: Dorsally, the color is buff or lion-like yellow with dark brown blotches and spots that are very similar throughout the body. The marking patterns are visibly different from one end to another. The neck region is "busier", the dark reticulates and blends more with the lighter coloration. Towards midbody, the dark markings become more distinct and contrasting, and continue to be more distinct toward the tail, yet reduced in marking thickness. These markings number 28 to 42 middorsally. Furthermore, the very pointed head may only be marked slightly with some small dots and a faded bar in front and between the orbitals above. The ventrals never appear to be immaculate, but are intermediately blotched with brown. Nevertheless, there usually is no true checkered pattern. The rostral scale is exceptionally large, and usually 8 or 9 supralabials and from about 10 to 15 (generally 14) infralabials are present.

Habitat: The Louisiana pine snake is generally associated with sandy, well-drained soils; open pine forests, especially longleaf pine savannas; moderate to sparse midstory; and a well-developed herbaceous understory dominated by grasses. Its activity appears to be heavily concentrated on low, broad ridges overlain with sandy soils. Baird's pocket gophers appear to be an essential component of their habitat. They create the burrow systems in which the pine snakes are most frequently found, and serve as a major source of food for the species. Up to 90% of radio-tagged snake relocations have been underground in pocket gopher burrow systems, and movement patterns are typically from one pocket gopher burrow system to another. Snakes disturbed on the surface retreated to nearby burrows, and hibernation sites were always within burrows. Both native and captive-released snakes were found most frequently in areas containing an ample number of pocket gopher mounds, and snakes stayed active longer and moved greater distances where pocket gopher burrows were abundant.

Pocket gopher abundance is dependent upon an abundance of herbaceous groundcover and loose, sandy soils. The amount of herbaceous vegetation is related to canopy cover. Generally, a rich ground layer requires a high degree of solar penetration into the forest floor. Pocket gopher abundance was associated with a low density of trees and an open canopy, which allowed greater sunlight, more understory growth, and better forage.

Range: Louisiana pine snakes originally occurred in at least 9 Louisiana parishes and 14 Texas counties, coinciding with a disjunctive portion of the longleaf pine ecosystem west of the Mississippi River. They are now found in only four Louisiana parishes, and at most, five Texas counties. In Texas, recent records confirm their presence only in the southern portion of the Sabine National Forest (Sabine County) and adjacent private land (Newton County), and in the southern portion of Angelina National Forest and adjacent private timberland (Angelina, Jasper, Tyler Counties). Most Louisiana records originate in Bienville Parish on privately owned forestland. A second population occurs on federal lands in Vernon Parish (Fort Polk, U.S. Army, and Kisatchie National Forest). An apparent third population has been found near the junction of Vernon, Sabine, and Natchitoches Parishes.

Found in these States: LA | TX

Diet: Pocket gophers also appear to be their primary food source, but other reported food items include other rodents, cottontails, amphibians, and ground-nesting birds and eggs.

Reproduction: The species is oviparous, with a gestation period around 21 days, followed by 60 days of incubation. This species exhibits a remarkably low reproductive rate, which magnifies other threats to the Louisiana pine snake. It has the smallest clutch size (three to five) of any North American colubrid and the largest eggs, generally 5 inches long by 2 inches wide, of any snake in the United States. It also produces the largest hatchlings reported for any North American snake, ranging 18 to 22 inches in total length, and up to 0.8 oz. in weight. The large size of the pine snake hatchlings may be an adaptation to enable young to feed relatively early.

Status: Listed as Endangered because the known area of occupancy is estimated to encompass less than 500 km², it is experiencing a continuing decline, and populations are severely fragmented. Additionally, population size may be fewer than 10,000 adults, and no subpopulation is estimated to contain more than 1,000 mature individuals

Taxonomy: