Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Pituophis, Species: P. catenifer
Widely distributed throughout western North America, ranging from British Columbia south through Washington, Oregon, California, across the Great Basin and Rocky Mountain states into Mexico.
Look up Gopher Snake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Pituophis, Species: P. catenifer
Conservation
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, as they have a wide distribution and adapt reasonably well to modified landscapes, though localized populations face threats from habitat fragmentation and road mortality.
Physical Description
The specimen exhibits a patterned dorsum featuring dark brown or black blotches on a lighter gray or tan background, typical of a juvenile. The head is slightly distinct from the neck with dark markings across the crown and through the eyes, and scales are keeled giving a slightly rough texture.
Size & Dimensions
This specimen appears to be a juvenile, roughly 10 to 14 inches in total length. Adults typically range from 36 to 72 inches, with exceptional specimens growing even larger.
Habitat
Found in a broad variety of habitats ranging from arid deserts and semi-arid shrublands to grasslands, chaparral, and open woodlands, from sea level up to elevations of over 9,000 feet.
Diet & Feeding
Diet consists primarily of small rodents, birds, bird eggs, and occasionally lizards. They are active foragers that frequently enter burrows and employ constriction to subdue prey.
Reproduction
Oviparous species, with females laying clutches ranging from 2 to 24 eggs in underground burrows or beneath rocks during late spring or early summer, which hatch in late summer.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, as they have a wide distribution and adapt reasonably well to modified landscapes, though localized populations face threats from habitat fragmentation and road mortality.
Cultural Significance
Plays a vital role in local ecosystems by controlling rodent populations. Often encountered by humans due to overlapping habitat use and sometimes mistakenly killed out of fear of rattlesnakes.
Notable Features
Known for dramatic displays including a loud, hollow hissing sound produced by a modified epiglottis, flattening the head into a triangular shape, and vibrating the tail rapidly in dry leaves to mimic a rattlesnake.