Pituophis melanoleucus

Behavior Due to their rarity and secretive behavior, the LPS is possibly one of the least understood species of large snakes in North America (Rudolph et al. 1997), however, there have been a few studies published that describe the burrowing behavior and movement patterns of the snake. Recently, it has been published that the snake exhibits diurnal activity patterns in its primary habitat of open pine forests on sandy soils with an abundance of herbaceous vegetation (J.B. Pierce et al. 2014). Activity patterns have shown that LPS are generally most active during the months of March through May and have a second peak in activity around September through November (J.B. Pierce et al 2014). It is believed that they are most active during these months because surface temperatures above ground are at their optimum point for LPS movement (J.B. Pierce et al 2014). Studies have shown that LPS do not relocate to wintering sites directly at the end of fall, but that they minimize movement around the burrow system that they are occupying at the end of the fall season (J.B. Pierce et al 2014). This behavior is thought to be a strategy that helps to minimize the risk of predation by shortening distances of travel to burrow systems and not making long distance surface movements while returning to a permanent or traditional wintering site (J.B. Pierce et al 2014). According to a study conducted in 2014, all hibernation sites of snakes studied were central to pocket gopher burrow…