Great Basin Gopher Snake

Facts about Great Basin Gopher Snakes. "Scientific name for Great Basin Gopher Snake is Pituophis catenifer deserticola". Great Basin Gopher Snake is a Pituophis type of non-poisonous snake that comes from the Colubridae family. This snake variety is a subspecies of nontoxic colubrid and they are prevalent in the western division of the United States and neighboring southwestern parts of Canada. The Great Basin Gopher Snake can be largely seen in Canada in British Columbia, and in most of the states of the United States, such as Arizona, Colorado, California, Nevada, Idaho, New Mexico, Utah, Oregon, Wyoming and Washington. The Great Basin Gopher Snake lives in all over the western parts of the United States in woodlands, grasslands, deserts, agriculture land, coastal sage scrub and riparian regions.

Features of Great Basin Gopher Snakes

The Great Basin Gopher Snake is a medium to large size serpent that is capable of growing to a maximum length of 4 1/2 feet (1.37 meters) when matured. The Great Basin Gopher Snake has dorsal spots that are dark tan or black in color, and they are linked to each other by extremely narrow stripes that run along both sides of the anterior section of their body. On both sides of the neck of the Great Basin Gopher Snake, usually, there is a dark longitudinal line that is enclosed by a few lighter coloring, which ultimately breaks up on the way to the posterior end of the snake and turns into small spots or dashes. The body scales of the Great Basin Gopher Snake are keeled, and their head has a pointed form. They have a cream-colored underbelly, with little, dark, uneven blotches.

Diet of Great Basin Gopher Snake

The Great Basin Gopher Snake is a carnivorous variety of snake, and they mostly feed on a variety of organisms, as well as lizards, insects, birds and their eggs, and small creatures, such as pocket gophers.

Behavior of Great Basin Gopher Snake

Usually, the Great Basin Gopher Snake is an immense swimmer, climber and burrower. The snake is one among the most frequently found snake varieties while people are driving or hiking on the road. The Great Basin Gopher Snake are largely found during the spring season when the male serpents are out and they will be attempting to locate a female snake to mate. Similar to most snake varieties in its family, the Great Basin Gopher snakes are not hazardous unless they are provoked. When protecting themselves from their predators, the Great Basin Gopher Snakes will lift up and blow up their body, and flatten their head into the shape of a triangle. Noisy hissing noises will arise, together with speedy shaking of their tail, mimicking the noise of a lethal rattlesnake. However, not like a rattlesnake, the Great Basin Gopher Snake is nontoxic.

Reproduction of Great Basin Gopher Snake

The mating season of the Great Basin Gopher Snake commences during the spring the season. After attaining the sexual maturity the male and the female snake start mating each other, and the female snake lay eggs from early June. The female Great Basin Gopher Snake that offers birth to hatchlings used to come out of the eggs in the last part of August and September. Usually, female snakes lay eggs, ranging from 3 to 24 eggs. Usually, the eggs take about 2 months to 2.5 months to hatch. When the juvenile Great Basin Gopher Snakes come out, usually they have a body length, ranging from 12 inches to 18 inches (30.5 to 45.7 cm).

The average lifespan of the Great Basin Gopher Snake ranges from 12 years to 15 years.