PATRICK HOUSTON BRIGGS

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Pituophis vertebralis vertebralis

Updated: Apr 18, 2024

CAPE or BAJA CALIFORNIA GOPHER SNAKE
Photo by Patrick Houston Briggs, Courtesy John Ginter

 
The Cape or San Lucan Gopher Snake (Topera de Baja California)
The specific or latter portion of the scientific epethit Pituophis (catenifer) vertebralis gets its name VERTEBRALIS from the Latin modification of the word which means “pertaining to the back”.  Since the time Klauber recognized two races, the Cape gopher snake (sometimes called the San Lucan gopher snake)  had been considered a subspecies. Still considered by most authorities to be a subspecies or race, it is called a morph or pattern class by a few. This snake is incredible looking,  indigenous to the Cape region of Baja California, it intergades near the Isthmus of La Paz with the bimaris form. It seems to occur in its pure form just south of La Paz and restricted to the Cape region. In its natural habitat, it is yellowish or olive to light orange in ground color with a saturated rusty-orange head without markings. Unlike many gopher snakes, the side of the head has no suborbital and postorbital stripes and the sutures in the labials are not edged in black. It occurs with some 38 to 51 vertebral blotches and 8-15 upper tail marks with the light color of the interspaces extending into most of the centers at each end of each dark vertebral blotch. Although there is some geographical variability, these vertebral blotches may be dark orange or reddish about two-thirds down the body and become much darker or black towards the rear or near and on the tail region. Occasionally, these blotches may be streaked with a darker color. The 2 or 3  lateral rows of markings are similar in color to that above, sometimes with white and dark lines. The vividness of color intensifies in this subspecies as they become older. The belly is unmarked anteriorly, but has dark spots toward the rear, and there is usually a black subcaudal stripe. L. Grismer remarks that some of the forms on small islands such Isla Cerralvo can be somewhat striped and faded with a pink-like tone to their body color. Grismer has also found wild specimens north of La Paz some 21 km in the isthmus with no black at all in the color pattern.(Grismer 2002,  page 299)

The Cape Gopher snake is a constrictor feeding primarily on young or small mammals and birds. Even so,  there are reports of small frog species such as Hyla regilla and lizards such as Uta stansburiana that are also prey to this species. In captivity, cannibalism has been reported and gopher snakes have been photographed eating others of their same species. Occassionally, other smaller snakes species are also eaten.

 
 Scutelation
The upper scales are well keeled, becoming less so laterally and toward the belly.

– Scales at mid-body: 31-35 (usually 33)
– Ventrals:
– Females: 246-257 (Grismer 2002)
– Males: 238-251
– Prefrontals: 4 (usually)
– Anal Plate: Entire
– Subcaudals:
– Females: 56-63 (Usually all subcaudals are divided down the center of the tail)
– Males: 60-72
– Supralabials: 8-10 (5th one nearly always contacts eye)
– Preoculars: 3-5 (usually 3)
– Infralabials: 11-15 (usually 13)

 
A beautiful baby Cape gopher snake:   http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcwetboy/1910031836/

Some breeder sites: http://snakesnmoresnakes.blogspot.co.uk/2009/01/bull-snake-breeders-and-links-to-their.html

Range Description,   See this site:   http://eol.org/pages/791056/overview


Vertebralis area south of Lat. 24′ 20′ N.(T. Moisi)
“The species ranges through most of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico, from southern El Rosario southward to Cabo San Lucas. The population in the north at Valle La Trinidad is not disjunct, but is connected through the interior valley to the main range of the species. It also occurs on the Pacific islands of Magdalena and Santa Margarita as well the island of San Jose in the Gulf of California, Mexico.”

Baja California Gopher Snake – Pituophis catenifer vertebralis
Hirschkorn & Skubowius, 2011

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