How to Lure Out a Louisiana Pine Snake

Louisiana pine snakes are non-venomous constrictors that may grow as long as 6 feet but are usually about two-thirds that size. They reproduce slowly and they may be disappearing. It is hard to say for certain because these snakes spend about 60 percent of their time underground and rarely venture more than 20 feet from their dens. They are most active from about 10:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. in March, April, May and November. Since the mid-1950s they have been called the rarest snake in America, and they particularly enjoy eating pocket gophers.

Things You'll Need

  • Non-lethal cage traps
  • Carrots
  • Passive snake traps (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Hunt for gopher holes in sparse pine forests and long-leaf pine savannahs in Bienville, Vernon, Sabine and Natchitoches Parishes in Louisiana and Sabine, Newton, Angelina, Jasper and Tyler counties in Texas. Note the locations of these gopher holes.

    • 2

      Set out non-lethal cage traps for pocket gophers in the locations you have noted in the months of March, April, May or November. Bait the traps with carrots.

    • 3

      Check the traps daily before 10 a.m. Observe the traps containing gophers between 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. for signs of interest by Louisiana pine snakes. Note and concentrate on any location where any pine snake is actually observed.

    • 4

      Capture Louisiana pine snakes with passive snake traps. These traps have funnel openings and contain non-toxic adhesive from which snakes cannot escape. Naturalists who study this snake estimate that it takes about 400 trap days to catch one Louisiana pine snake in a good location.