About Rhadinaea flavilata (Cope, 1871)
Rhadinaea flavilata, also commonly called the yellow-lipped snake or pine woods snake, is a small snake species. Its dorsal color ranges from reddish brown to yellowish brown or dark orange, and its unmarked underside ranges from whitish to yellowish. A dark stripe runs through its eye, and a light stripe may be present along the middle of its back. The upper labial lip scales are whitish or pale yellow, which is the origin of its common name yellow-lipped snake. As adults, this species reaches an average total length including the tail of 10 to 13 inches, or 25 to 33 cm. This species is found in scattered localities across the southeastern United States: it occurs in coastal North Carolina and South Carolina, most of peninsular Florida, and small portions of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Its distribution is scattered, with large stretches of land between confirmed populations. The pine woods snake inhabits pine forests and mixed-pine hardwood forests, specifically favoring damp woodlands. It typically stays under bark, or inside rotten logs and stumps. This species is oviparous, meaning it lays eggs, and little detailed information is available about its reproduction. Mating is thought to occur in spring, with clutches of one to four eggs laid in summer. Some females lay two separate egg clutches per year, and the incubation period lasts six to eight weeks.
