Pine snakes

[Bay_area]

Nice pics. Out of interewst why is it they hiss so loud, is it because they are about toget aggresive or do they just do it?

It is a type of defence to scare off whatever is bothering them. Apparently, from what I was told, there is something in pinesnakes mouths that makes their hiss louder than other snakes.

[Charlet_2007]

they also shake there tail like a rattle snake.. its really neat tho the here them hiss and shake there tail people who dont know carp about snakes thinks you got a hot in the tank lol

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

actually, i would say about 90% of colubrids shake their tails when nervous or angry. all of my corns, ratsnakes, milksnakes, my pine, and my bulls do it. the only ones in my collection who don't are my garters. These is a difference, however, in the intensity of the rattling. a pine snake's rattle actually feels like a vibrating phone when you're holding them. I now have a pinesnake, she is AWESOME. She occasionally will hiss at me, and the reason their hiss is so loud is because of the way that they curl their lips when they do it. Most snakes jsut open their mouths and exhale deeply. these guys actually curl their lips to maximize the noise they make. For example, here's my male bullsnake Jake the Snake(close relative to the pine) doing just this.



all members of pituophis (pine snakes, bull snakes, gopher snakes) do this and do it WELL. as soon as you pick them up, they usually quit the act.

[adamanteus]

i would say about 90% of colubrids shake their tails when nervous or angry.

I think that should read American colubrids. No point immitating a Rattler outside the Americas!

[adamanteus]

Incidentally, Pituophis is the only genus I have ever observed to do a 'multiple kill', constricting several mice simultaneously!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

actually, what I meant to say was colubrids in my collection!! lol!!! but yes american is just as well. But i used to have a blue beauty, and he did it too??? and my asian radiated rat snakes rattled their tails up a storm too. are you sure this isn't an outside-US thing too?

[adamanteus]

I'd have to sit and think for a while, but I don't recall off-hand ever keeping a non American colubrid that rattled it's tail. Maybe my memory is finally fading. I have kept Radiated Rat Snakes a few trimes, never had one rattle though, I don't think.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

jeez mine were so mean!! they would sit tehre and rattle at me until I left the room...

[anji1971]

My old garter used to shake her tail when she was crabby, which was most of the time....

[Bay_area]

My leg shakes when I am scared. I hate hieghts, when I am on a ladder, my right leg will shake uncontrolably if I think about being up high. I guess if I had a tail, it would shake...LOL!