10
Loading video...
By Robyn White
Nature Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
A "snake factory" in Memphis is releasing pine snakes into the wild in Louisiana.
More than a hundred pine snakes, which were bred in captivity—otherwise known as "snake factories"—were released into the Kisatchie National Forest at the beginning of this month, the Associated Press reported.
Part of a conservation effort to reintroduce the species to the wild, the initiative has been ongoing since 2010. The factories include include the Memphis Zoo, Fort Worth Zoo, Lufkin Zoo and Audubon Zoo. Other organizations involved include the U.S. Forest Service, Southern Research Station and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Read More
Watch Florida Snake Strangle Hawk as Cops Step Into the ‘Deadly Situation’3 min read
The U.S. Navy Is Teaching Sea Lions To Play Video Games—And They Love It3 min read
Snake Hunter Filmed Wrestling 60lb Python in Florida: ‘Solid Muscle’6 min read
In total, the zoos breed about 150 snakes a year, Town Talk reported.
...
Although not venomous, pine snakes are often killed by people because of their defensive nature. They bear a resemblance to rattlesnakes, which might be why people target them.
As a result, they are endangered and rarely encountered in the wild. Another reason for their decline is a lack of appropriate habitat. Along with reintroduction efforts, officials are working to increase habitats with private landowners across Louisiana.
"We provide the snakes in our snake factories, which are funded by the U.S. Forest Service, into habitat that the Fish and Wildlife Service and Forest Service have developed," Steve Reichling, the Memphis Zoo's director of conservation and research, told AP. "It's just a perfect marriage, really."
Reichling believes that if the reintroduction efforts continue, a stable population of pine snakes will be thriving in Kisatchie National Forest in a few years, according to the Memphis Zoo website.
The release of snakes from the "factory" happens every year. The exact location remains a secret so people do not try to find and kill them. It is illegal to harm or kill them.
The good news is that once they are reintroduced, the snakes appear to be thriving.
Snakes can be extremely beneficial to the ecosystem as they control rodents and other pests.
Pine snakes spend most of their time burrowing underground. They mainly eat rodents, amphibians and eggs.
Officials try to find prey sources for the snake to determine whether the habitat is suitable for them.
"That's the key," Emlyn Smith, Catahoula Ranger District biologist for the U.S. Forest Service, told Town Talk. "We find the pocket gophers, then we know it's a suitable habitat for them because that's where they need to live, in the tunnels."
Do you have an animal or nature story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about pine snakes? Let us know via nature@newsweek.com.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines