Pacific Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer catenifer • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Pituophis, Species: Pituophis catenifer
Western North America, specifically from Oregon and California to British Columbia. Common throughout the West Coast of the United States.
Look up Pacific Gopher Snake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Venomous Status
Non-venomous; lacks fangs or venom delivery system.
Danger Level
Harmless; though they may hiss loudly and strike if provoked, they pose no significant medical risk to humans.
Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Pituophis, Species: Pituophis catenifer
Conservation
Least Concern (IUCN). Common and stable, though threatened by habitat loss and vehicle strikes.
Physical Description
Keels on dorsal scales. Cream or light brown base color with dark brown or black square-shaped blotches (saddles) along the back. The head is relatively narrow with a dark line across the forehead and small, round pupils.
Size & Dimensions
Specimen appears to be an adult around 3-4 feet. Typical species range is 2.5 to 7 feet (76-213 cm).
Habitat
Highly adaptable; found in grasslands, coastal sage scrub, chaparral, coniferous forests, and agricultural areas. Often found in suburban gardens and near rodent burrows.
Behavior & Temperament
Diurnal and crepuscular. Known for defensive mimicry of rattlesnakes, including flattening their heads, hissing loudly (thanks to a specialized epiglottis), and vibrating their tails in dry leaf litter. Generally docile if not threatened.
Diet & Feeding
Generalist predator using constriction. Primarily feeds on small mammals (rodents/rabbits), birds, eggs, and occasionally lizards.
Reproduction
Oviparous (egg-laying). Females lay clutches of 2 to 24 eggs in the summer, which hatch in late summer or fall.
Venom Profile
Non-venomous - no medically significant venom.
Look-alikes
Commonly confused with Western Rattlesnakes (Crotalus species). Distinguished by round pupils (vs vertical), lack of a rattle, a narrower head, and more slender body.
Conservation Status
Least Concern (IUCN). Common and stable, though threatened by habitat loss and vehicle strikes.
Cultural Significance
Highly beneficial to humans as natural pest control due to their heavy consumption of agricultural rodents. Sometimes referred to as 'bullsnakes' in broader contexts.
Notable Features
Equipped with a unique epiglottal flap that allows them to produce an exceptionally loud, rasping hiss to intimidate predators.