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, down into Mexico, and eastward into parts of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains.
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 it has a wide distribution, tolerant of habitat modification, and generally stable populations, though local populations face threats from vehicular mortality and habitat destruction.
Physical Description
Displays a patterned appearance with dark brown, black, or reddish-brown blotches along a lighter yellowish, tan, or gray background. The head is slightly distinct from the neck with dark stripes near the eyes and a pointed snout typical of burrowing habits. Scales are keeled, and the body is robust.
Size & Dimensions
The specimen appears to be a juvenile or subadult around 2 to 3 feet in length. Adults typically range from 3 to 7 feet (90 to 210 cm) in total length, with exceptionally large individuals exceeding 8 feet.
Habitat
Found in a diverse range of habitats including coastal regions, deserts, grasslands, chaparral, brushlands, coniferous forests, and agricultural lands, from sea level up to approximately 9,000 feet.
Diet & Feeding
Primarily feeds on small mammals such as mice, rats, gophers, and voles, as well as birds, bird eggs, and occasionally lizards. Utilizes active foraging and constriction to subdue prey.
Reproduction
Oviparous species that mates in spring and typically lays clutches ranging from 3 to 24 eggs in underground burrows or beneath rocks and decaying logs during early summer.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, as it has a wide distribution, tolerant of habitat modification, and generally stable populations, though local populations face threats from vehicular mortality and habitat destruction.
Cultural Significance
Highly beneficial ecologically for controlling agricultural rodent pests, though occasionally killed out of mistaken identity with rattlesnakes.
Notable Features
Known for dramatic displays when threatened, which include hissing loudly by forcing air through a specialized epiglottis, flattening its head, and vibrating its tail rapidly in dry leaves to mimic a rattlesnake.