On March 19, Dad and I, along with two of our birding/herping friends, went to the Pine Barrens to assist Dr. Joanna Burger in her annual snake dig. The dig is part of an ongoing research project which involves collecting data on Northern Pine Snakes (Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus) as they near the end of their winter hibernation. The snakes are carefully dug up from special dens which have been built by the researchers, the data are taken, special identification tags are inserted into the snakes, and the snakes are released back into the dens with as little stress on the animal as possible.

This gallery is a photo essay of our day in the field. I didn't photograph any of the lab work because I was busy handling the snakes, but viewing these pictures and the accompanying descriptions in order should give you a good idea of the process.