Gopher Snake (Great Basin Gopher Snake)
Pituophis catenifer deserticola • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Pituophis, Species: P. catenifer, Subspecies: P. c. deserticola
Western North America, specifically from British Columbia in Canada south through the Western United States (Great Basin region) into northern Mexico.
Look up Gopher Snake (Great Basin Gopher Snake) in the Snake Encyclopedia →Venomous Status
Non-venomous (Aglyphous - lacks specialized fangs)
Danger Level
Harmless - low risk. They are not dangerous to humans, but can deliver a painful bite if provoked and are known for loud defensive hissing.
Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Pituophis, Species: P. catenifer, Subspecies: P. c. deserticola
Conservation
IUCN Status: Least Concern. Major threats include habitat loss and being mistaken for rattlesnakes and killed by humans.
Physical Description
Large, robust snake with a base color of tan or cream. Features a series of dark rectangular blotches along the back and smaller spots on the sides. Head is relatively narrow with a dark line between the eyes and from the eye to the corner of the mouth. This specimen displays keeled scales and a light-colored belly with dark spots.
Size & Dimensions
Specimen appears to be around 3-4 feet; species typical adult range is 3 to 6 feet (91-183 cm), with some reaching up to 8 feet.
Habitat
Found in a variety of habitats including grasslands, shrublands, open woodlands, and deserts. They range from sea level to high elevations up to 9,000 feet, often utilizing rodent burrows for shelter.
Behavior & Temperament
Diurnal in cooler months and crepuscular/nocturnal in hot summer months. Known for a loud defensive display: flattening the head, hissing loudly (using a specialized glottis), and vibrating the tail in dry vegetation to mimic a rattlesnake.
Diet & Feeding
Active forager that primarily eats small mammals (rodents, gophers), birds, eggs, and occasionally lizards. It kills prey through constriction.
Reproduction
Oviparous (egg-laying). Females lay clutches of 2 to 24 eggs in the summer, which hatch in late summer or early autumn.
Venom Profile
Non-venomous - no medically significant venom.
Look-alikes
Commonly confused with Western Rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis/oreganus). Distinguishable by the lack of a rattle, presence of round pupils (vs. vertical), a narrower head, and no heat-sensing pits.
Conservation Status
IUCN Status: Least Concern. Major threats include habitat loss and being mistaken for rattlesnakes and killed by humans.
Cultural Significance
Highly beneficial to humans as natural pest control by regulating rodent populations in agricultural and suburban areas.
Notable Features
Possesses a specialized epiglottis that vibrates when the snake breathes out forcibly, producing an unusually loud, rasping hiss that enhances its mimicry of a rattlesnake.