Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I know Southern Pine Snakes are native to Georgia but has anyone reported a NORTHERN Pine Snake in the Mountains of North Georgia. This summer while camping we found a young Northern Pine Snake in the Smokey Mts north of Cherokee, NC. As this area is geographically directly above North Georgia, we wonder if a Northern Pine Snake has ever been reported in the mountains of North Georgia. When we found the Northern Pine Snake on the southern part of the Smokeys a park Ranger also saw it. This snake previously was only thought to inhabit the North Western side of the Smokeys in Tennessee.

A Northern Pine was reported there last year; it was photographed and released. Pictures of the animal appeared on a forum not related to this one. Did you photograph the animals you found?

No, unfortunately, I wasn't looking for snakes and the camera was not available at the time. Did you mean a Northern Pine was reported north of Cherokee, NC in the Smoky Mts National Park? Could you refer me to that Forum? Thanks much. Don

You asked if the animal was from north Georgia. It was. Northern Pines are found throughout that area, though not often seen. herpnation.com is where I saw it, well over a year ago.

Northern pines are found in north Georgia and the mountains of NC, including the Smokies. I have seen them dead on the Road in Tellico Plains, Tenn. Blairsville and Blue Ridge Georgia. Most of the folks in this area call them bull snakes rather then pinesnakes.

Dan

Did you deposit the bodies at a museum or university? Any DOR Pine is of interest. If you see any in the future, take them and freeze them. If you'd like, I could probably get them into a university or museum collection.

sounds like reason enough to load up the camera and take a road trip!
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“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emmerson

Well Tony...make sure that you take a camera that is going to last a long long time. The four pines that I have seen in the area stretch over a 40 year period. I guess the good news is though two of them were seen in the last 10 years. The first one I saw was in 1971 and it was alive on the road. It was on route 68 and I swerved to miss it and pulled off the road and went running back to get it. By then the snake had crossed into the other lane and a car coming from behind me swerved across into the other lane to hit it. Man was I heart broken as I did not even know that they existed in that area. I have seen a couple of others since then on the road dead around Ducktown Tenn. Many times though in that area, people confuse baby black rats and hognose snakes with pinesnakes.

Dan

In 1998 I received a NPine from Rabun County given to me by a friend who couldn't get it to eat (he wasn't licensed to keep native colubrids as it was). Boldly marked with yellowish white ground color. I released him where he was collected.

Greg Greer, a noted naturalist in the Atlanta area, found a NPine while hiking in Kennesaw Mt Battlefield NP in the mid '90s.

They're out there (in suitable terrain) in N. Georgia.

Thanks everyone for responding to my question. From all comments I conclude there are NORTHERN pine snakes in N. Georgia. Thanks much. Don