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stumbled on this old dude this past may...thank you peter jolles

My Buddy Bob Brandner is always telling me stories of seeing northerns in the wild. maybe someday soon i will get my act together and get over there to photograph a wild northern for myself!

thanks for the nice image share, JGinter

I happened to be in pine territory for just about a week last month and searched everywhere but i think you have to have that as your "neighborhood" herp spot to see a pine. I've heard of them being called pine tree rattlers by some of the local folk, mind you this was at the southern end of the northerns range.

Thats an awesome find and I wish i was nearby to freak out with you!

ps Ginter have you gotten ahold of any stripped pacifics yet I've made it out to that spots a couple times recently and have had no luck. theres not alot of cover to flip and not alot of "safe" land to explore.

Nate

at least the pits out here are a little easier to find

I was with Peter this last spring when we found a N. Pine, a lifer for both of us, just 20' from a melanistic Eastern Hognose. I'm surprised no one called the cops, we were screaming so loud with excitement! It probably sounded like someone was being murdered.LOL!!!! It was a good sized male that had scars from brush fires. Pretty sad really. At least he was a survivor!
Congratulations!
-Phil

Its always good seeing large pits in the wild. I wonder how many wildfires they see before they get that big, being as thats what keeps the barrens, barren.
georgous snake,
Nate

Very cool. Is the snake in the pic the one you found? Good looking snake. If he's got scars, I can't see 'em.

reako45

Here's a better pic. The scars were towards the tail.
Most of the scars were on the other side of the snake, and unfortionately we didn't get a lot of close up photos of that side before it took off. Photos are courtesy of Peter Jolles.
-Phil

from the looks of that picture,i still think that's one of the most unique-looking northern pines i've ever seen.looks almost like a ruthveni more than a northern.ok maybe not but the colors are really cool/atypical-very sweet find.i'm sure i would have shot dozens of pics of it.....phil i heard that story-hell i was in the sandhills that same day.if you recall,the weather was crazy!i decided it was gonna be easier to locate a horridus out basking/moving somehwere between the rain,than to happen upon one of those damn random-a$$ pinesnakes.....ahhh,another bad choice,lol.
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"with head raised regally,and gazing at me with lidless eyes,he seemed to question with flicks of his long forked tongue my right to trespass on his territory" Carl Kauffeld

Yeah Justin, I was hoping that I would get a chance to meet you as well. That was an amazing trip. It was also my first serious East Coast herping trip, I'm from the West Coast. It was cool to finally meet a couple of people that I've only talked to through forums, such as Michael Coone, and Carsten "Zee" Zoldy. Wish you could have made it. One thing I found really funny was that Peter almost jumped out of his skin when he saw the N. Pine and I said "what are you so damn excited about, it's just a Pituophis" LOL!! On the West Coast they are pretty common, yet still a nice snake to find. I didn't realize how hard they are to find in N.C., thus Peter's excitement. He was thinking what a callous ass I was until I exlpaned that to him. LOL!!
Maybe next time. Take care!
-Phil

nice,bob-i remember hearing about it.maybe if i quit being so hardheaded-you know,head west a couple hours-i may actually get my reward,an nc pine......wouldn't mind seeing more pics if you got some.
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"with head raised regally,and gazing at me with lidless eyes,he seemed to question with flicks of his long forked tongue my right to trespass on his territory" Carl Kauffeld