Pituophis catenifer deserticola
Encyclopedia
The Great Basin Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer deserticola) is a species
of small colubrid
snake
native to the western part of the United States
. The Great Basin Gopher Snake can be found all over the west including some areas of Canada and Mexico. This serpent can be found in California, New Mexico, Oregon, Arizona, British Columbia, Washington, Wyoming, Nevada, Colorado, and Idaho.
spots that are dark brown or black, and they are connected to each other by very narrow lines that run along each side of the anterior end. On each side of the neck there usually is a dark longitudinal stripe that is surrounded by some lighter coloring, which eventually breaks up towards the posterior end of the snake and turns into dashes or small spots. The body scales are keeled and the head has a pointed shape. The Great Basin's underbelly has a creamy color with small, dark, irregular blotches. Their average lifespan is 7 years.
s, woodland
s, desert
s, coastal sage scrub, agriculture
land, and riparian areas.
. Unlike the rattlesnake, however, the Great Basin is nonvenomous.
, and it eats many things. Some of these include birds and their eggs, lizards, small mammals (pocket gophers), and insects.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of small colubrid
Colubrid
A colubrid is a member of the snake family Colubridae. This broad classification of snakes includes about two-thirds of all snake species on earth. The earliest species of the snake family date back to the Oligocene epoch. With 304 genera and 1,938 species, Colubridae is the largest snake family...
snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
native to the western part of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Great Basin Gopher Snake can be found all over the west including some areas of Canada and Mexico. This serpent can be found in California, New Mexico, Oregon, Arizona, British Columbia, Washington, Wyoming, Nevada, Colorado, and Idaho.
Description
The Great Basin Gopher Snake have dorsalDorsum (biology)
In anatomy, the dorsum is the upper side of animals that typically run, fly, or swim in a horizontal position, and the back side of animals that walk upright. In vertebrates the dorsum contains the backbone. The term dorsal refers to anatomical structures that are either situated toward or grow...
spots that are dark brown or black, and they are connected to each other by very narrow lines that run along each side of the anterior end. On each side of the neck there usually is a dark longitudinal stripe that is surrounded by some lighter coloring, which eventually breaks up towards the posterior end of the snake and turns into dashes or small spots. The body scales are keeled and the head has a pointed shape. The Great Basin's underbelly has a creamy color with small, dark, irregular blotches. Their average lifespan is 7 years.
Scutellation in Great Basins | Usual # of Scales |
---|---|
Midbody | 29-35 |
Ventrals | 214-259 |
Caudals | 54-71 |
Anal | entire |
Prefrontal scales | usually 4 |
Supralabials | 8-10 |
Infralabials | 9-15 |
Preoculars | 1-2 |
Postoculars | 2-6 |
Habitat
As aforementioned, the Great Basin Gopher Snake can be found all over the western United States. They can be found in many grasslandGrassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s, woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s, desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
s, coastal sage scrub, agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
land, and riparian areas.
Behavior
The Great Basin is a great climber, swimmer, and burrower. It is one of the most commonly found snakes while hiking and driving on the road. They are easily seen in the Spring when the males are out and about trying to find a mate. The hatchlings are easily found in late August and September when they emerge from their eggs. Great Basins are not dangerous unless provoked, as is with most animals. When they are defending themselves from predators will elevate and inflate their bodies, and flatten its head into a triangular shape. Loud hissing noises will ensue, along with quick shaking of its tail to mimmick the sound of the deadly rattlesnakeRattlesnake
Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes of the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae . There are 32 known species of rattlesnake, with between 65-70 subspecies, all native to the Americas, ranging from southern Alberta and southern British Columbia in Canada to Central...
. Unlike the rattlesnake, however, the Great Basin is nonvenomous.
Diet
The Great Basin is a carnivoreCarnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
, and it eats many things. Some of these include birds and their eggs, lizards, small mammals (pocket gophers), and insects.