Pine snake dens

[dragoncjo]

Ok, need some snake experts help here. As I've said before I know little about snakes behavior and habitats, turtles are my thing. Today I found what appears to be the beginnings of a freshly dug pine snake den. It was a hole in the side of a mound of sand, about as wide as a mini basketbell. However it was only about a foot to two deep, it was right next to a trail that gets alot of orv traffic. I'm just wondering how do pine snakes make their dens, do they make their own or use rodent holes? If they do make their own dens when does this occur? This look to be a work in progress or the animal was scared away for some reason. here are some pics,

Also checked out my spycamera to see if it took any pics. It took a pic of a few raccoons, oppossum, and a human. No cats, yotes or anything else interesting. Also have any of you herpers been seeing anything out, things seem to be dead, I think I'm hanging it up till the spring.

 

[Teegate]

Get the face of the human?


Guy

 

[dragoncjo]

No just his hairy sasquatch like legs. I wanted to post some of the pics but my brother in law has been bugging me to set up the camera in his backyard in haddon heights to get a pic of a red fox. I deleted the pics so he had full memory in the camera. Hopefully I will get some better pictures in the future.

 

[NJSnakeMan]

I guess that could be a pine snake den, it looks like a mammal burrow to me though too. Did you see any tracks or slither markings near the hole? This guy has some pine snake mound pictures.. http://www.gradeareptiles.com/pbtrip2.html

I haven't been out much for herping.. one a racer, a ringneck snake, garters and waters. But it's all been local. I'm planning on some good herping (hopefully) saturday so i'll let you know if anything comes up.

 

[dragoncjo]

AC's site is were I first saw burrows and when I saw this, that is what I thought of. I've never seen one before but I have seen three pines right around this area. Also this particular spot is a closed area so something is there that is endangered, threatened etc. The picture makes the hole look like a triangle it was very round. No animal or snake marks around it.

 

[bobpbx]

Those mounds of dirt are shockingly large for a pine snake. I don't doubt it, but it does surprise me. Its almost like they had shovels.

 

[dragoncjo]

Probably a fox, like i said I never have seen their dens. I guess their normally on the ground, this one was on the side of a dune like area. It was wishful thinking i guess.

 

[woodjin]

I often see fox dens on the burms of enduro trails. I must admit, I thought it seemed large also but it does look alot like the dens on that other site. Incidently, I think I know where those picures of dens on that site where taken. I will check it out and give you and idea of how wide those holes are.

Jeff

 

[bobpbx]

Probably a fox, like i said I never have seen their dens. I guess their normally on the ground, this one was on the side of a dune like area. It was wishful thinking i guess.

No, I didn't specifically mean yours, I meant the the other ones on the web site link provided by NJ Snakeman.

 

[Krloucks]

If it were a den, and active, you'd should see tracks in the sand.

 

[dragoncjo]

Kyle, this was freshly dug within the last two weeks. Probably just a fox or something.

 

[manumuskin]

No thats not a pine snake den.a pins snake den is back filled when the snakes are in it.the only time theirs an opening is in spring after they come out and before the hole collapses.a den looks like a caved in fox den sort of only the sand is more spread out and not in a mound like a mammal den.stick your finger into apparent hole and where it ends if the sand is soft and you can push your finger into it and feel the hole shape by the hard walls its a snake den.
Al