Pituophis catenifer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pituophis catenifer
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Pituophis
Species:	catenifer
Synonyms
Coluber catenifer Blainville, 1835 Pituophis catenifer — Baird & Girard, 1853 Pityophis heermanni Hallowell, 1853 Elaphis reticulatus A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1854 Pityophis hæmatois Cope, 1860 Coluber catenifer — Boulenger, 1894 Pituophis catenifer — Stejneger & Barbour, 1917

Common name: Pacific gopher snake, coast gopher snake, western gopher snake, more.

Pituophis catenifer is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake endemic to North America. Nine subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominotypical subspecies, Pituophis catenifer catenifer, described here. This snake is often mistaken for the prairie rattlesnake, but can be easily distinguished from a rattlesnake by the lack of black and white banding on its tail and by the shape of its head, which is narrower than a rattlesnake's.

Etymology

The specific name, catenifer, is Latin for "chain-bearing", referring to the dorsal color pattern.

Description

Adults are 36-84 in (91–213 cm) in length. Dorsally, they are yellowish or pale brown, with a series of large, dark brown or black blotches, and smaller, dark spots on the sides. Ventrally, they are yellowish, either uniform or with brown markings.

Great Basin subspecies, coiled

Behavior

The gopher snake has an odd defensive mechanism, in which it puffs up its body and curls itself into the classic strike pose of a pit viper. However, rather than delivering an open-mouthed strike, the gopher snake is known for striking with a closed mouth, using its blunt nose to "warn off" possible predators. Also, it often shakes its tail, confusing predators into thinking it is a rattlesnake. This works best when the snake is in dry leaves or on gravel. It usually hunts its prey on land, but occasionally ventures out into ponds to hunt frogs.

Life expectancy

Gopher snake

Wild gopher snakes typically live 12 to 15 years, but the oldest captive recorded lived over 33 years.

Common names

Common names for this species, or its several subspecies, are: Pacific gopher snake, Henry snake, coast gopher snake, bullsnake, Churchill's bullsnake, Oregon bullsnake, Pacific pine snake, western bullsnake, western gopher snake, Sonoran gopher snake, western pine snake, great basin gopher snake, blow snake, and yellow gopher snake.

Subspecies

• Blainville, H.D. 1835. Description de quelques espèces de reptiles de la Californie précédée de l'analyse d'un système général d'herpétologie et d'amphibiologie. Nouvelles Annales du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle 4: 233-296. (Coluber catenifer, pp. 290–291 + Plate XXVI., Figures 2, 2A, 2B.)

• Pituophis catenifer at the TIGR Reptile Database. Accessed 4 February 2009.

Images for kids

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  Sonoran gophersnake (Pituophis catenifer affinis), Doña Ana County, New Mexico (August 17, 2010)

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  Sonoran gophersnake (Pituophis catenifer affinis) Hidalgo County, New Mexico (18 April 2017)

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  San Diego gophersnake (Pituophis catenifer annectens) San Luis Obispo County, California (May 9, 2009)

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  Pacific gophersnake (Pituophis catenifer catenifer), Alpine County, California (March 27, 2004)

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  Great Basin gophersnake (Pituophis catenifer deserticola), Elko County, Nevada (May 25, 2006)

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  Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi), Mason County, Illinois (June 13, 2018)