Three subspecies of Pituophis melanoleucus are currently recognized: The subspecific name lodingi is in honor of Danish-born amateur herpetologist Peder Henry Löding (1869-1942), who lived in Alabama.

[6] Adults of P. melanoleucus are large, growing to 48–90 in (120–230 cm) in total length (including tail)[7] and are powerfully built.

[8] The pine snake requires well-drained, sandy soils with little vegetation for use as nesting and hibernation sites.

[1] When disturbed, it often hisses loudly, sometimes flattening its head, vibrating its tail, and eventually striking at an intruder.

[12] Several mammal species have been known to predate upon the hibernacula and nesting burrows of pine snakes including the American red fox (Vulpes fulva), striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) and Northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda).

The eggs are deposited in sandy burrows or under large rocks or logs and hatch after 64–79 days of incubation.

[15] The pine snake is classified as least concern on the IUCN Red List, due to its wide distribution and large number of subpopulations; while the total populations appears to be declining, this is likely happening at a slow rate.