Pituophis catenifer catenifer PACIFIC GOPHER SNAKE 0.1 Adult 6 feet 9 inches in length.
Pituophis catenifer catenifer PACIFIC GOPHER SNAKE 0.1
Pacific Gopher SnakePituophis catenifer catenifer (Kings County locality)
The Pacific gopher snake is a common constricting snake averaging somewhere around 4 feet in length as an adult. They are indigenous to northern and mid-coastal California inland through much of central and northern California and the Great Valley and into western Oregon but not along its coast except extremely southwest in that state. There are old records of this race in its pure form extending into Washington, the San Juan Island region, and southeastern British Columbia of Canada, but these populations are said to be currently extirpated due to man’s industrial and commercial activities. To confuse things more, from north central Oregon south throughout the center of the state all the way into northeastern California, there is also a healthy natural occurring population of intergrade Pacific x Great Basin gopher snakes in central Oregon. Characteristics varying from either or both subspecies may be found on different individuals from this region. The pure Pacific gopher snake race, catenifer is replaced in much of Washington State by the Great Basin subspecies, deserticola.
Pituophis catenifer catenifer PACIFIC GOPHER SNAKE 0.1
Photo by Patrick Houston Briggs
Pituophis catenifer catenifer PACIFIC GOPHER SNAKE 0.1 adult Kings County California
Pituophis catenifer catenifer PACIFIC GOPHER SNAKE 0.1 Motley type morph
Pituophis catenifer catenifer PACIFIC GOPHER SNAKE WC from Hanford, California
By Patrick Houston Briggs
The Pacific gopher snake Pituophis catenifer catenifer like all others of this form has heavily keeled scales on the upper body, becoming smoother progressively along each side towards the belly. Although it is usually brown-blotchedwith black accenting against a light straw yellowish ground color, with spots and smudgy grayish or brownish suffusion along its sides, it is occasionally found in a brown-striped phase with similar ground color that ophidian breeders easily and enthusiastically reproduce in captivity.
Pituophis catenifer catenifer PACIFIC GOPHER SNAKE 0.1
HANFORD IN KINGS COUNTY CALIFORNIA
Photo by Patrick Houston Briggs
Pacific Gopher Snake Pituophis catenifer catenifer
By Patrick Houston Briggs
Pituophis catenifer catenifer PACIFIC GOPHER SNAKE
Image by Patrick Houston Briggs
The range of the Pacific gopher snake Pituophis catenifer catenifer replaces the San Diego subspecies annectens northern range, right around the vicinity of south Monterey County along the Pacific coast with a little bit of intergradation. (older records used to believe it was Santa Barbara County). With all the images taken by anyone in any location with cell phones, we are able to see markings on individuals anywhere anytime.Not only does the Pacific gopher snake replace the coastal San Diego subspecies at that point, but its range widens more and even more inland northly up to southwest Oregon where its range begins to become less and less closer to the coast, and as its range continues further north, it begins to intergrade with the Great Basin gopher snake from north central and north eastern California, continuing to intergrade throughout central Oregon all the way north within Oregon state, while the pure Great Basin subspecies occupies the eastern part of the state. Older records report several populations having also existed in Washington state and in Alberta Canada, but current reports indicate that those populations are now extirpated. From the California’s north border, the range continues south along the east side foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains and along the west side and within the lower Coastal Ranges, also continuing south in the great valley region between both which continues southerly throughout the Sacramento Valley of the Great Valley and borders of the San Joaquin Valley. Older reports also have indicated that a Pacific-Great Basin intergradational form exists on the other side south of the mountain pass in Kern County.
Genus Pituophis Map Range by Patrick Houston Briggs
Pituophis catenifer catenifer PACIFIC GOPHER SNAKE 0.1 Eating duck eggs
Photo by Patrick Houston Briggs
Pituophis catenifer catenifer PACIFIC GOPHER SNAKE 0.1 Eating duck eggs from the nest.
HANFORD IN KINGS COUNTY CALIFORNIA
Photo by Patrick Houston Briggs
What I’ve observed from specimens that I’ve either examined or from images viewed of specimens from various localities photographed and shared through internet by many is that there does seem to be an intergradational population of Pacific-Great Basin gopher snakes from that Kern County region. Furthermore, both the Pacific gopher snake and the Great Basin gopher snake come in varying color forms and patterns throughout this and other areas where either of their borders meet with other subspecies in their broad ranges. (See the Great Basin gopher snake images of this site from that region from Dove Springs and Randsburg California. Also, see Doyle CA intergrade from northeastern CA.)
HANFORD IN KINGS COUNTY CALIFORNIA
Photo by Patrick Houston Briggs, Courtesy Laurence Hope
Pacific Gopher Snake Pituophis catenifer catenifer (Kings County locality)
Pacific Gopher Snake Pituophis catenifer catenifer (Kings County locality)
Thommomys Bottae VALLEY POCKET GOPHER
by Patrick H. Briggs
Patrick Briggs holds up a Pacific Gopher Snake Pituophis catenifer catenifer 6 feet nine inches in length. Photo taken by Stephanie R. Briggs
Pituophis catenifer catenifer PACIFIC GOPHER SNAKE adult
JOSE BASIN of the SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS in CALIFORNIA
By Patrick Houston Briggs
Pituophis catenifer catenifer PACIFIC GOPHER SNAKE upper head study
By Patrick Houston Briggs
