When you spot trunks with darker bark that have large flakes somewhat resembling cracked mud cookies in the bottom of a dried puddle, that is likely Black Spruce, the preferred host species for Pytho niger and Pytho seidlitzi in the Mt. Washington area. Pytho are sometimes found under the bark of standing dead trees, more frequently on leaning dead trees, and most frequently under the bark of logs that are 3 - 5 years dead. If a tree or log still has needles on it, it is not old enough for Pytho. On the other hand, if the underlying wood is rotten enough to be easily broken with a boot or the but of a hatchet, it is too old for Pytho.


See Forum article on search for Py*tho stri*ctus.