Mexican pine snake (Pituophis deppei)

Short answers

Mexican pine snake: How big does the enclosure need to be?

From 150×75×115 cm (minimum size according to the 1997 expert report, bullsnakes and pine snakes).

Mexican pine snake: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 24–30 °C, basking spot 33 °C, at night 15–19 °C.

Mexican pine snake: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Recommended (UVB 5.0).

Mexican pine snake: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 15–25 years.

Mexican pine snake: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

24–30 °C

Night temperature

15–19 °C

Basking spot

33 °C

Humidity

45–60 %

UVB

Recommended (UVB 5.0)

Enclosure

Minimum size

from 150×75×115 cm (minimum size according to the 1997 expert report, bullsnakes and pine snakes)

Substrate

Sand-loam they can dig in, a cork hide, a water dish

Feeding

Food

Frozen-thawed mice of a suitable size

Feeding interval

1×/week

Key facts

Adult size

100–150 cm

Life expectancy

15–25 years

Origin

Central Mexico – highlands

Protection status

Not listed under CITES

Brumation

A winter rest of 10–14 weeks at 8–14 °C

Cohabitation

Keep them singly. Snakes are solitary and do not seek company — a shared hide is competition for the best spot, not social behaviour. The concrete reason is the feeding accident: if two animals grab the same food item, one can swallow the other along with it. On top of that, once they are kept together you can no longer tell which animal has eaten and which is losing weight. For breeding, put them together under supervision and separate them again afterwards.

Notes

A boldly marked highland species, smaller than the US bullsnakes. It needs a distinct, cool winter rest – without it there is no breeding.

Do you keep this species?

Add your animal to Reptoria – Reptoria reminds you about feeding and shedding. Add your animal for free →

Look for Mexican pine snake (Pituophis deppei) in the marketplace →

Related species

• Baja California gopher snake (Pituophis vertebralis) – Intermediate
• Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi) – Beginner
• Gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer) – Intermediate
• Pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus) – Intermediate
• Louisiana pine snake (Pituophis ruthveni) – Intermediate
• Middle American gopher snake (Pituophis lineaticollis) – Intermediate
• Northern pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus) – Intermediate
• Black pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus lodingi) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Mexican pine snake (Pituophis deppei) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (from 150×75×115 cm (minimum size according to the 1997 expert report, bullsnakes and pine snakes)), substrate (Sand-loam they can dig in, a cork hide, a water dish), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.