Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Pituophis, Species: P. catenifer
Widely distributed throughout North America, ranging from southwestern Canada, through the western and central United States, down into northern Mexico.
Look up Gopher Snake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Pituophis, Species: P. catenifer
Conservation
Evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its extremely wide distribution, broad habitat tolerance, and large stable populations, though local populations face threats from habitat fragmentation and road mortality.
Physical Description
Displays a patterned appearance with dark brown, black, or reddish-brown blotches over a lighter yellowish, cream, or gray background. The head is slightly distinct from the neck with dark bars across the prefrontal scales, and the scales are keeled, giving a somewhat rough texture.
Size & Dimensions
This individual appears to be a sub-adult or young adult, roughly 3 feet in length. The typical adult size for the species ranges from 37 to 72 inches, with exceptionally large specimens reaching up to 90 inches.
Habitat
Found in a diverse array of habitats including deserts, prairies, scrublands, brush, chaparral, agricultural lands, and open woodlands, from sea level up to elevations exceeding 9,000 feet.
Diet & Feeding
Preys primarily on small mammals such as mice, rats, gophers, and voles, as well as birds, bird eggs, and occasionally lizards. It is an active forager and constriction specialist, subduing prey by wrapping its body around it and applying pressure.
Reproduction
Oviparous species that mates in the spring. Females lay clutches typically ranging from 3 to 24 eggs in underground burrows, rotting logs, or loose soil during the summer months, with incubation lasting around 60 to 75 days.
Look-alikes
Frequently confused with various rattlesnake species due to its similar coloration, blotched pattern, and defensive behavior of vibrating its tail in dry leaves to mimic a rattle. It can be distinguished by the lack of rattles on the tail, a round pupil instead of a vertical slit, and a narrower head.
Conservation Status
Evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its extremely wide distribution, broad habitat tolerance, and large stable populations, though local populations face threats from habitat fragmentation and road mortality.
Cultural Significance
Highly beneficial to agricultural and rural ecosystems due to its exceptional rodent-control capabilities, helping to naturally regulate pest populations around farms and human habitations.
Notable Features
Famous for its dramatic defensive displays when threatened, which include hissing loudly by forcing air through a modified epiglottis, flattening its head to appear wider, coiling tightly, and vibrating its tail rapidly to produce a rattling sound.