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Let's Talk Pits...

Favorite Pituophis???

  • Northern Pine

    Votes: 21 17.4%

  • Southern Pine

    Votes: 9 7.4%

  • Black Pine

    Votes: 12 9.9%

  • Louisiana Pine

    Votes: 6 5.0%

  • Bullsnake

    Votes: 45 37.2%

  • Gopher Snake(I know there are several, so I listed them as one)

    Votes: 28 23.1%
  • Total voters
    121
Southern Pine

My favorite is the Florida Pine. Beautiful and probably the loudest. I have a pair consisting of a female normal and a male that is so called "leucistic". I hate using that term so if anybody can come up with a new one I'd be glad to use it. My female has the greatest personality. Doesn't mind being picked up or handled but try to put her back home and your in trouble. lol I love to get her out and show people how nice she is and then put her back. People ask "Is that the same snake I was just handling?" By the way, when she strikes, open mouth every time. Plenty of slobber on the glass to prove it. My male is the most confident snake ever and therefore never rattles or hisses, just tries to get away from me and dive into a breeder tank full of mice. Only the ones with pinkies though. He never tries to hide if he gets away, just goes for the mice. Pits are great snakes they just demand a little more carefulness than other colubrids. Heck my kings are downright boring sometimes.
 
Northern Pine Snakes

I need to get either a Northern Pine Snake or a snake that looks like a northern pine. I hear the King Snake and the San Diago Gopher look like the Northern Pine. Can anyone help me on this? Is there any other snake that looks similar? It may be illegal for me to possess a northern pine since I live in NJ. They are on the "threatened" list for New Jersey. This is also why I may have to settle for a look-a-like. Thank You!

Tom Ertle
 
My vote goes to the Louisiana Pine. Sad to see that as of my vote they only received 4% of the votes. I guess this can be attributed to the fact that they are very uncommon in collections, and the wild for that matter. I have a pair of Louisianas that I will be breeding for the first time next spring. But in general the pits rule!
 
Keeping pines in NJ

Thomas, I dont have my reptile law book handy but I'm prety sure that you can keep pines in NJ. You might want to check with Fish and Game. Also check with Anthony Choadan, he keeps several species of pines and lives in NJ. I believe his business name is A1 Reptiles.
 
I voted for the bullsnake, but a few years ago my state protected almost all nongame wildlife. Which includes the bull. Second for me is the black pine snake. The ones I've had were so mellow!

My bulls taught me almost all I know about how talented snakes are at escaping. ;)
 
Southern Pines...without a doubt!!

This is why :)
 

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hey Troy!!!!!!!!!!

Very nice snow southern!!!!!!!! Wow!!!!!! I picked up a female in Daytona back in 2002 from Mark Bell. Where did yours originate from?

Thanks for posting the killer pic! Nice Gene Simmons logo under your name section!

Take care!
Billy Fraser
 
Pits are addictive!

Pituophis ought to come with the warning: You can't have just one!
Someone mentioned that the cape gophers are a little fiesty! Here's one of my little capes smiling for the camera!
 

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I love northern pines. I dont really care for gophers, we have them all over out here. I do like some of the albinos, though.

As for popularity, I dont think they are all that uncommon. I dont see them at shows out here all that much but there are a lot of pituophis collectors out there. They also seem to sell fast, I dont think some people realize the demand for them.
 
Pituophis

I am looking for feedback on length and girth of the folllowing, and please, I am only looking for first hand information, not the monster your best friend saw on time at a side show!

Northern Pines
Southern Pines
Sonoran Gophers
San Diego Gophers
Great Basin Gophers
Bull Snakes (Sayi)

I have a lot of experience with some of these but not so much with others. I am interested in some first hand information.

Jeff Snodgress: Those Pines I got form you are awesome! Super eaters. I have occasionally found Pituophis hatchlings to be on-again-off-again, not these guys. No off yet, they just devour rat fuzzies. I do believe they think they are king snakes!


On the length/girth survey, I will broadcast the results to anyone interested.


Val Campbell
 
New owner and already looking for another Pit....

I have owned my first Pit, an Kankakee Bull from John Meltzer for about 3 months now. She has been an absolute darling. She's never hissed or struck, but has rattled her tail a couple times when I shake her out of her hide box, lol. She's about 5 months old now and is a good 24" and has great personality. She's so incredibly relaxed when held it is as if she truly enjoys being held and does all she can do climb back up my arm when I try to put her back in the cage!! I also own an Eastern King and a corn and they are all unique, but I agree that corns are easier to keep than most Pits, BUT are not as interesting for those of us who have been keeping snakes for years.

One thing that is unique to my bull and that I really enjoy is how she wakes up with me when I turn the lights on in the morning (she's in my bedroom). She comes right out of her hide and crawls around and watches me with interest. Can't say that for my corn or king!

I'd also like to introduce myself and say hello. I've been a regular at Kingsnake.com and just discovered this forum....it's setup is MUCH better.

Keep it fun!! - Matt
 
Mattcbiker said:
I have owned my first Pit, an Kankakee Bull from John Meltzer for about 3 months now. She has been an absolute darling. She's never hissed or struck, but has rattled her tail a couple times when I shake her out of her hide box, lol. She's about 5 months old now and is a good 24" and has great personality. She's so incredibly relaxed when held it is as if she truly enjoys being held and does all she can do climb back up my arm when I try to put her back in the cage!! I also own an Eastern King and a corn and they are all unique, but I agree that corns are easier to keep than most Pits, BUT are not as interesting for those of us who have been keeping snakes for years.

One thing that is unique to my bull and that I really enjoy is how she wakes up with me when I turn the lights on in the morning (she's in my bedroom). She comes right out of her hide and crawls around and watches me with interest. Can't say that for my corn or king!

I'd also like to introduce myself and say hello. I've been a regular at Kingsnake.com and just discovered this forum....it's setup is MUCH better.

Keep it fun!! - Matt
Click to expand...

I agree with you on so many levels! This forum is better than kingsnake, but I would have to say that traffic is better on kingsnake. As for the pits vs. kings or corns, yes, I would say mine are more interesting too. I have a pair of northern pines and they are far more interesting than my kings. I wouldnt say that care is too much more difficult, but there is a little difference in there. My kings are only active when they are hungary, my pines are out exploring all day every day, which is pretty cool. One is ok with being held, the other hisses and squirms, but I still like to watch him explore his cage. I cant wait to get more pits!
 
Hey You Two!!!!!

Great to see Mattcbiker and Metalpest over here!
How are your northerns doing Metalpest?

Yes Matt, you really did it. You went and got yourself your first pit. It is all over now. There is nothing you can do. The addiction is beyond control for anyone getting into pits! LOL! Seriously, I am so into my pits, that for a while, whenever I would buy a snake that wasn't a pit, I would actually feel guilty! LOL!

I remember seeing pics of your Kankakee and really liking it. Actually, it made me more interested to check some out at Meltzer's table in Daytona this year if he has any available at that time.

I do agree that pits do seem to show more ability to be aware of their surroundings. I love seeing my northern pine Solomon raise his body up a foot or so and " inspect" the room when I take the lid off of his cage, scanning the area all around.

This forum is great, but does get less traffic than on kingsnake. The forum over there is great as well, heck, they both rule.

Take care!

Billy Fraser
 
Billy - thanks for checking out my photos at Kingsnake. I believe this website will start to grow substantially soon. Kingsnake is long overdue for a makeover!

I'd love to get more snakes, but space is very tight right now, I've got 4 cages in my apartment bedroom already!

I think the only Pits. that I don't admire are the stripped gopher snakes .... everytime I see one I think it's a big garter snake (no disrespect garters are beautiful!!) I'm not a big fan of the albinos but there are some exceptions. My favorites are the pure natural forms of bulls (especially the darker varieties), and all the pines. Capes are probably the most brilliant but I prefer the tough, mean, look of my bull!!
 
Hey Billy! Pines are doing great, Ive been able to get them to eat now. I dont think they like to eat in front of me any more, I dont know why. I placed them in a bucket and they did the same thing they did while off-feed: hissed at the mouse and ran from it. The male followed the mouse without interest, his tounge even hit the mouse a few times, yet he still slithered right past it and when he touched the mouse, he freaked out. I left them both alone for 10 minues and upon return mice were killed but not yet eaten. These were small hoppers, small enough to where they didnt create a bulge, so its not prey size. Im wondering if the undertank is working, the female was pretty cold when I pulled her out.
 
Nick,

Yeah..sometimes, or actually more than we may think, some snakes do like a lot more privacy when they eat. If they feel that they are being watched, they may either wait until we leave or not eat at all. They are all hyped up from the food smell, but I have had snakes not eat until I leave and turn the light off in the snake room.

You say you placed them in a bucket? Do you feed them in the bucket all the time or in their cage?

If they are both eating, great!!!!!! It can be stressful when they suddenly go off feed.

Later!
Billy Fraser
 
Actually, this was the first time I feed them in the bucket. They had lots of success eating in front of me and even my friends in the cage, but then stopped. They didnt lose any noticable weight so I wasnt worried, but I decided to place them in a bucket a week ago with a fuzzie. Little interest at first, but ate after left alone, then ate the second. This last feeding was a hopper, so they only got one, even though they have taken two hoppers before and even larger prey. They havent pooed out the first meal yet, it seems to take them longer, like a few feedings. Is that normal?

Will the pines eat in darkness? I can see kings doing so, but I though pines were diurnal, and mine are always out in the morning hours and retreat to the hide by the afternoon. The light seems to help wake them up. When my kings used to be in my room and had a nightlight, I could see that they woke up during the night to explore. I wouldnt expect that from the pines, but I could be wrong.
 
Time of year..

Nick,

You will find that a great majority of native herps, Pituophis spp. included, will go off feed this time of year.
As for feeding in buckets, the majority of University and Zoological entities around the country utilize buckets, and other containers, for feeding purposes, as doing so helps to diminish the feeding response, especially with aggressive feeders, upon opening the enclosure.
Pituophis are fossorial by nature and have no problem locating prey items in the dark.

Best regards,

Jeff Snodgres
 
Thanks for the info Jeff. The pines are still young though and I therefore do not want them to brumate yet. The temp is still in the 70s in the house and there is an undertank heater on 1/4 of the cage set to 82 F, so I thought they may have gone off feed for another reason, as their activity is still very high. The male also sat in the water bowl for 3 days straight, I was thinking it was for shedding or cooling off but no shed (its been a few weeks) and I dont think it was too warm.
 
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