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Proposed
Northern Pinesnake Reintroduction Canceled
 The
Maryland Department of Natural Resources had proposed an experimental
reintroduction of northern pinesnakes to Pocomoke State Forest,
Worcester County. Pinesnakes are large (48 - 66 in.) non-venomous snakes
that inhabit flat sandy pine-barrens and sand ridges, usually in or near
pinewoods. This species was believed to have been extirpated from the
Eastern Shore of Maryland.
A public meeting, hosted by Towson University’s Biology Department, was
held on Saturday, March 3, 2007 at the Towson University campus. The
public meeting was held in the Baltimore area because some question had
been raised by certain members of the Maryland herpetological community
about the validity of historical records for the northern pinesnake in
Maryland. Forty members of the public were in attendance, including many
familiar with Maryland reptiles and amphibians.
Comments received during the public meeting and in written form
subsequent to the meeting questioned if the northern pinesnake
historically occurred on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. A position paper
from the Maryland Natural History Society’s Department of Herpetology
was also received which questioned the nativity of the northern
pinesnake in Maryland.
An independent panel of three experts was formed by the Department to
evaluate the reintroduction proposal and present their findings to the
Department. The panel members are considered experts in reptile
distribution and natural history in the mid Atlantic region. The panel
presented their written review to the Department on October 10, 2007.
They concluded that “there is insufficient evidence to establish that
the northern pinesnake was a recent member of the Maryland fauna.” They
therefore concluded that this may not be a reintroduction.
Based on the findings of the panel of experts, the Department will NOT
pursue the proposed reintroduction. |
