The Gopher Snake is a species of non-venomous snake that is native to much of the United States and parts of Northern Canada.
This is a diverse species with a large geographical distribution and there are currently 8 recognised sub-species of Gopher Snake.
While we will be focusing primarily on the nominate sub-species Pituophis catenifer catenifer, we will also be discussing the other sub-species throughout this article.
The different sub-species of Gopher Snake can be found in different Geographical locations although some of their ranges can overlap.
Depending on the sub-species, it can sometimes be different to visually distinguish them from each other.
However, other sub-species have clear differences such as size, coloration and the patterning on the snakes. Even behaviour can help to identify sub-species.
Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The Gopher Snake belongs to the Colubridae or Colubrid family of snakes. This is the largest family of Snakes in the world consisting of many popular species such as Corn Snakes and Milk Snakes.
With around 250 different genera of Colubrids, these snakes can be found on every continent except Antarctica which also makes them the most widely distributed family of snake in the world.
The vast majority of Colubrid snakes are non-venomous, or at least contain a venom that isn’t considered to be medically significant to humans.
However, there are a number of species of Colubrid snakes that contain venom capable of killing humans. This includes species from the Boiga and Rhabdophis genera as well as other snakes such as the Boomslang.
Genus
The genus that the Gopher snake belongs to is called Pituophis which is a genus of snake’s native to North America.
The genus contains the different species and sub-species of Gopher Snake, Pine Snakes and Bull Snakes.
There are currently 6 recognised species in this genus. They are the Pine Snake, the Louisiana Pine Snake, the Mexican Bull Snake, the Cape Gopher Snake, the Middle American Gopher Snake and of course, the Gopher Snake.
All of the snakes in this genus are known for their extremely loud hissing when they feel threatened.
This is often perceived as an aggressive act but it is actually a defensive trait that the snake uses to scare away a potential threat.
This loud trait is actually due to a thin, flexible, leaf-shaped flap in their throat that vibrates when air is forced from the trachea.
Species
The scientific name for this species is Pituophis catenifer and there are currently 8 recognised sub-species.
The different sub-species can be found in different Geographical locations although some of their ranges can overlap.
The specific name, catenifer, is a Latin word meaning “chain-bearing”, which is a reference to the dorsal color pattern.
The species was first described in 1835 by a French Zoologist named Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville.
He was responsible for identifying a number of other reptiles including the Southern Alligator Lizard and the Rubber Boa.
When first described, the Gopher snake was actually identified as Coluber catenifer. It wasn’t first classified as Pituophis until 1853.
The Coluber genus was used for a long time to inaccurately classify specimens. Today it houses a number of species such as Whipsnakes and Racers.
Sub-Species
As mentioned previously, there are currently 8 recognised sub-species of Gopher Snake.
Each of these sub-species occupying their own geographical niche, but some of these ranges can overlap and it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between some of these sub-species.
While 8 sub-species are recognised at the time of writing, this could change with time. There has been other sub-species described in the past that have since been disproven.
It is also possible that some of these sub-species could be upgraded to full species status in the future.
Pituophis catenifer affinis is known as the Sonoran Gopher Snake. It was first described in 1852 by Hallowell.
Pituophis catenifer annectens is often referred to as the San Diego Gopher Snake and was first described in 1853 by Baird and Girard.
Pituophis catenifer catenifer is the nominate sub-species and is known as the Pacific Gopher Snake. It was first described in 1835 by Blainville.
Pituophis catenifer deserticola is known as the Great Basin Gopher Snake and was first described in 1893 by Stejneger.
Pituophis catenifer fulginatus is known as the San Martin Island Gopher Snake and was first described in 1946 by Klauber.
Pituophis catenifer insulanus is known as the Credos Island Gopher snake and was first described in 1946 by Klauber.
Pituophis catenifer pumilis is known as the Santa Cruz Island Gopher Snake and was first described in 1946 by Klauber.
Pituophis catenifer sayi is probably the most commonly recognised sub-species and is known as the Bullsnake. It was first described in 1837 by Hermann Schlegel.
Hermann Schlegel was responsible for describing a number of species of reptiles including the Frog Eyed Gecko, the Burmese Mountain Tortoise and the Sumatran Short Tailed Python.
Schlegel also described a number of other species with Müller in 1844 including the Painted Terrapin.
Description
The Gopher Snake is a medium sized species of snake that can grow anywhere from 3ft to over 6ft in length depending on the sub-species and other factors.
The coloration and patterning can vary but they are typically yellowish to light brown, with a series of large, darker blotches that are usually dark brown or black in color.
The belly of the snake is typically yellowish or off-white in color and can be uniform or contain brown markings.
Each sub-species has their own individual traits and we will look at each of these sub-species in more detail to better understand the differences.
Sonoran Gopher Snake Description
The Sonoran Gopher Snake has a yellowish to light brown background color with a large number of darker blotches that run the length of the snake’s body.
These dark blotches or saddles are typically dark brown or a dark rusty color at the snake’s neck.
This color tends to lighten towards the middle of the snake before darkening back up again towards the tail.
On the sides of the snake there are a series of smaller blotches that run the length of the snake. These also vary in darkness along the snake’s body.
They belly of the snake is typically white to off white in color while they have a dark marking that runs from their jaw to their eye.
This sub-species typically grows to around five and a half feet in total length and they have keeled scales.
San Diego Gopher Snake Description
The San Diego Gopher Snake has a yellowish to brown background color with busy dark patterning all over its body.
They also have rows of smaller blotches on the sides of the snake. These blotches are typically very dark, usually appearing black in color.
This sub-species also has a black marking that extends from their jaw to their eye and they have keeled scales.
They typically grow to around 5ft in length but they are capable of growing a bit larger, although this is rare.
Pacific Gopher Snake Description
The Pacific Gopher Snake is regarded as the nominate sub-species so their appearance can arguably be considered the typical appearance of a Gopher Snake.
The background coloration of these snakes can vary greatly from yellowish to light brown to darker shades of brown.
Like the other sub-species, they have large blotches or saddles running the length of their back, from their neck to their tail.
They also have a series of smaller blotches running along their sides. The coloration of these spots can vary from light to dark brown and can even appear reddish or even black.
They typically grow to a maximum length of around 5ft and like the other sub-species, have keeled scales.
Great Basin Gopher Snake Description
The Great Basin Gopher Snake has a grey to yellowish background color and can sometimes appear more orange in color.
The blotches on this snake are usually quite large and dark in color. Like the other snakes, these blotches run from the snake’s neck right down to its tail.
They are usually smaller than some of the other sub-species, growing to around 4ft in length. However, they can sometimes grow larger than this.
San Martin Island Gopher Snake Description
The San Martin Island Gopher Snake usually has a yellow base color that often changes to a beige or orange coloration towards the tail end of the snake.
They have a large number of black spots that run the length of their dorsal with smaller black spots on the sides of the snake.
This sub-species also has a black line that extends from the snake’s eye to the back of its mouth.
These snakes usually have another black mark directly below they eye, almost like a black teardrop falling out of the snakes’ eye.
This sub-species can grow to around 4ft in length but overall size can vary depending on a number of factors.
Credos Island Gopher Snake Description
The Credos Island Gopher Snake typically grows to a maximum length of around 4ft by most specimens are a bit smaller than this.
The background color of the snake is yellow or sometimes reddish. They have black blotches that tend to become narrower toward the rear end of the snake.
Their head is slightly pronounced from the neck and they have large eyes with round pupils.
Santa Cruz Island Gopher Snake Description
The Santa Cruz Island Gopher Snake is a very small sub-species and are sometimes referred to as the dwarf form as they rarely exceed 3ft in length.
This sub-species has a narrow head that is only slightly wider than the neck while their snout is also shorter and flatter than other sub-species.
They typically have a light brown to yellowish base color with very dark brown or black blotches covering most of their body.
Bullsnake Description
The Bullsnake is a very large and probably most popular sub-species and can reach lengths of up to 6ft, although they are usually a little smaller than this.
They usually have a yellowish to light brown base color and blotching can vary in color from dark brown, black, white and even reddish.
The patterning on this snake usually consists of large blotches on the top of the snake with three sets of smaller blotches on the sides while the tail has bands of black markings.
This is a popular snake kept in captivity and selective breeding has allowed breeders to create snakes with a variety of different color and pattern variations.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Gopher Snake has a very large geographical distribution that extends right across the Western half of the United States.
These snakes can also be found in parts of South-Western Canada while their range also extends deep into Mexico where they can be found as far South as Mexico City.
In Canada, they can be found in the Southern parts of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan and can be found around places such as Vancouver and Calgary.
In the United States, they can be found all along the Pacific Coast with their range extending inland as far as places such as Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.
There is a large population of Gopher Snakes in Mexico with the majority concentrated in the Northern parts of the country.
These snakes are abundant in places such as Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, Sinaloa and Durango.
They can be found in a variety of different habitats including deserts, semi-deserts, farmland, river valleys, pine forests and mountainous regions.
Pituophis catenifer affinis Distribution
The Sonoran Gopher Snake can be found in parts of Mexico in places such as Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Zacatecas, Sinaloa and Sonora.
In the United States, this sub-species can be found in parts of New Mexico and Arizona in in small regions of California and Texas.
Pituophis catenifer annectens Distribution
The San Diego Gopher Snake, as its name suggests can be found in and around the San Diego region of California.
These snakes can be found along the Pacific Coast as far North as places such as Santa Maria with their range extending Southwards through Las Angeles and down into San Diego.
Their range extends further South into the Northern parts of the Baja California region of Mexico around places such as Tijuana and Ensenada.
Pituophis catenifer catenifer Distribution
The Pacific Gopher Snake, as its name suggests can be found along the Pacific Coastline of the United States.
These snakes can be found in places such as Washington, Oregon and California with their range extending from Seattle to San Diego.
Their range doesn’t extend too far inland. In Oregon, they can be found East of Portland while in California they can be found as far inland as the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.
Pituophis catenifer deserticola Distribution
They Great Basin Gopher Snake can be found throughout much of the Western United States and parts of South-Western Canada.
In Canada, this sub-species can be found in a small are of British Columbia, East of Vancouver.
In the United States, they can be found in States such as Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.
Pituophis catenifer fulginatus Distribution
The San Martin Island Gopher Snake can only be found on the tiny island of San Martin which is in the San Quintin Bay, off the coast of Baja California in Mexico.
This tiny volcanic island has a diameter of only 1.6km and is around 4km from the mainland of Baja California.
Pituophis catenifer insulanus Distribution
The Cedros Island Gopher Snake, as its name suggests, can only be found on Cedros Island or Isla de Cedros.
Isla de Cedros is located just off the Coast of Mexico. It is situated in the Pacific Ocean near the border of Baja California and Baja California Sur.
Pituophis catenifer pumilis Distribution
The Santa Cruz Gopher Snake can be found on some of the Channel Islands that are located off the Coast of California, just North of Las Angeles.
This species has only been verified to live on two of these islands, Santa Cruz Island and Santa Rosa Island.
However, there are also reports that this sub-species species can be found on another Channel Island called San Miguel Island, although this hasn’t been officially confirmed.
Pituophis catenifer sayi Distribution
The Bullsnake is probably the most commonly known sub-species of Gopher Snake and also has the largest Geographical Distribution.
The Bullsnake can be found in parts of Southern Canada, throughout the Central United States and into North-Eastern Mexico.
I’m Canada, the Bullsnake can be found in parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan while in Mexico they can be found in Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas.
In the United States, the Bullsnake can be found throughout all of the Central States including Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois.
Further South, their range extends through Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Gopher Snake Behaviour
The Gopher Snake is a Diurnal species, meaning they are mostly active during the day and sleep at night.
However, this behaviour can change in very warm weather, become active at dusk and dawn or sometime even during the night in order to avoid scorching temperatures.
This snake likes to spend its time on the ground and will often enter rodent burrows in search of a meal. While not arboreal, they are able to climb small trees and bushes in search of a meal.
The Gopher Snake has a reputation for being very aggressive. However, this reputation is a little misleading as these snakes can be very defensive rather than aggressive.
A wild Gopher Snake would much prefer to be left alone than have a confrontation with humans. They ‘aggressive’ behaviours they display is largely a bluff to try and get you to leave them alone.
When they feel threatened, they will often hiss very loudly in an attempt to scare away a threat.
Their ability to hiss so loudly is due to a thin, flexible, leaf-shaped flap in their throat that vibrates when air is forced from the trachea.
The Gopher Snake can also puff out its body to make itself look bigger and more intimidating. When it does this, it usually moves into a striking pose to indicate it is willing to attack.
However, rather than actually biting, these snakes, will often strike with their mouths closed. This shows that this so-called aggressive behaviour really is just a defensive bluff.
