

A Georgia wildlife fanatic discovered and photographed one of many rarest snakes within the southern United States — and received the entire encounter on video.
Christian Cave, a 22-year-old environmental science scholar at Kennesaw State College, achieved a lifelong objective of catching a uncommon pine snake final month.
In an on-camera interview with Fox Information Digital, Cave described the second he lastly noticed the snake as “fairly insane.”
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“It was some of the — palms down — unimaginable moments of my wildlife profession,” he stated.
The social media content material creator, who goes underneath the model Caveman Wildlife, went viral on TikTok after he posted the video of catching the snake.
The video has obtained greater than 4 million views because it was posted on Oct. 13.
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Many TikTok customers in contrast Cave to his idol: fellow wildlife lover and crocodile hunter Steve Irwin.
One person commented, “I imagine that you simply make Steve Irwin proud! I really like your pleasure!”

A pine snake slithers up the facet of environmental science scholar Christian Cave’s face throughout this encounter.
(Christian Cave)
“The Steve Irwin vibes are IMMACULATE,” one other stated.
Cave shared that Irwin was his “hero” rising up as a younger child with an unwavering fascination for nature.
“[Irwin] was bigger than life,” he stated. “I don’t suppose I deserve the praise in any respect … however I’ll take it as an enormous duty.”

Christian Cave, a Kennesaw State College environmental science scholar in Georgia, poses for a photograph with the snake he’d lengthy been hoping to search out.
(Christian Cave)
“I have a look at Steve nonetheless being the epitome of how you might be as a wildlife presenter, an individual who’s simply passionate — however I attempt to do the identical factor.”
Now, as he makes an attempt to comply with within the footsteps of his function mannequin, Cave has taken on his personal numerous excursions to search out distinctive critters.
This consists of the pine snake, which he has tirelessly pursued.
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The Georgia native stated he’d spent 5 weeks in a row driving all the way down to South Georgia, burning “a variety of gasoline” to provide you with a variety of nothing.

A pine snake present in South Georgia enjoys a bit of heat from wildlife fanatic Christian Cave.
(Christian Cave)
On one notably fortunate outing, Cave stated he and his buddy, Bobby, who was recruited as “cameraman,” awoke at 4 a.m. to drive two-and-a-half hours to the sandhills as soon as once more.
The duo got here throughout a “pristine” longleaf pine habitat with tender sand — which Cave described as “excellent” for pine snakes to burrow into, with a modified scale on the tip of their nostril.
Christian Cave stated he was nearly prepared to surrender the search.
After hours of driving in his 2010 Honda Civic with no snake in sight — whereas dealing with cool and windy situations that aren’t excellent for sightings — Cave stated he was nearly prepared to surrender the search.
That’s, till he noticed one thing lengthy and black slithering throughout the sand to his proper.
“It was excellent timing,” he stated.
“I used to be like, ‘Woah, dude! Get out of the automobile!’”
“I simply discovered my first-ever pine snake and I assumed it was a finished day.”
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The second for Cave was one in all pure bliss, because the video reveals him yelling out in pleasure and hugging the snake to his chest.
“It was only a sweetheart,” he stated.

Wildlife fanatic Christian Cave provides a thumbs-up as he lastly tracks down a uncommon pine snake in South Georgia.
(Christian Cave)
“Pine snakes are infamous for having a really loud hiss and an enormous risk show, however this snake did not do any of that.”
Cave stated the snake appeared to take pleasure in his physique warmth and wrapped round his neck and nestled inside his shirt for heat.
“It was a bit of freaked out that I used to be screaming a lot,” he stated.
“However once I calmed down with it, it was simply gliding round on me.”

Christian Cave poses with the uncommon pine snake he noticed after searching for one of these snake for weeks.
(Christian Cave)
Cave described the pine snake, identified scientifically as pituophis melanoleucus, as an “completely attractive” species that’s identified for its “seclusive” nature.
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“It’s a snake that’s extremely wanted,” he stated.
“However the issue is that they’re extremely fossorial — they spend a loopy quantity of their life underground.”
In autumn, Cave defined that pine snake hatchlings will start to seem and come out of their burrows to search for meals forward of winter.

Wildlife fanatic Christian Cave wears a uncommon pine snake round his neck.
(Christian Cave)
The pine snake can also be nicknamed the “ghost of the sandhills,” attributable to its elusiveness and the lengthy, apparition-like tracks it leaves within the sand.
Cave added that attributable to habitat loss, the species just isn’t as plentiful and prevalent because it as soon as was.
“The snakes want a fairly particular and wholesome ecosystem to thrive,” he stated. “And a variety of that, sadly, these days, is sort of arduous to search out.”
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Regardless that the pine snake is nonvenomous and “innocent,” it might nonetheless chew, stated Cave.

Wildlife fanatic Christian Cave goes head to head with a uncommon pine snake that he present in South Georgia.
(Christian Cave)
Pine snakes are identified to hunt rodents equivalent to pocket gophers as they burrow into dens for a lot of the 12 months.
Cave, who’s “targeted and passionate” about wildlife conservation and training as a complete, stated he plans to additional pursue habitat restoration as a profession as soon as he graduates.
The fanatic emphasised that his bigger objective is to enlighten and educate the general public on the fun of wildlife — simply as Steve Irwin did.
“I’ve gotten to see a variety of actual training being finished from my work,” he stated.
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“Whether or not it is lecturers telling me they’re utilizing it to teach youngsters or dad and mom telling me that they are utilizing it to teach their youngsters throughout house faculty … It feels completely surreal,” he stated.
“It’s an honor.”