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San Diego Gopher Snake
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- Order: Squamata (scaled reptiles)
- Suborder: Serpentes (snakes)
- Family: Colubridae ("typical" snakes)
- Subfamily: Colubrinae ("typical"
snakes)
- Genus: Pituophis (gopher, bull, and pine
snakes)
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Scientific Name: Pituophis
catenifer annectens Baird & Girard, 1853 |
| Habitat: Fields,
prairies, open woodlands and chaparral with sufficient ground
cover. |
Pitys="pine," ophis="snake,"
catena="chain," ifera="bearing,"
annectens="connecting"
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| Length: can grow to
more than 8 feet long. |
Old Scientific Name(s):
Pituophis melanoleucus annectens |
| Food: Rodents and
rabbits. |
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In the same location I found the California
kingsnakes, I also found 2 San Diego gopher snakes. In
addition, a young gopher snake was found near Riverside. The
individual pictured here is an approximately-3-foot male with a
beautiful suffusion of orange on the last half of his body.
He was found under a board near Carlsbad in January 2004. |
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| This is a closeup of the male's
head. These snakes are known for two things--their appetite
for rodents (hence the name "gopher snake"), and their
defensive display. When threatened, the snakes will coil and
hiss loudly, even striking at the would-be attacker.
However, once captured, most of them calm down and can be handled.
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I said "most" in the paragraph above,
because as is being demonstrated by the young snake in this
photograph, some are downright nasty! This juvenile
initially coiled, then repeatedly struck at me (that's my boot on
the left-hand side of the picture; I sat down to watch and
photograph the snake's antics). In fact, when I moved back,
he followed me with mouth agape, hissing loudly, to make sure I
left!
See also the Bullsnake
I found in Texas.
NOTE: the range map shows the distribution
of all subspecies of Pituophis catenifer, including the
bullsnake. There are roughly 6 subspecies of P. catenifer;
the taxonomy tends to change every few years as more is learned
about these snakes. |
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