Gopher Snake (Pituophis melanoleucus)
Scientific Name: Pituophis melanoleucus
Temporal Activity: Diurnal (nocturnal in extreme heat).
Diet: Mostly mammals, birds, and eggs.
Predators: Preyed upon by hawks, owls, coyoyes, and ringtails.
Breeding: 2-24 eggs hatch in the summer. Males have combats during the spring mating season.
Vegetation Association: Found in a wide variety of habitats: ponderosa pine forest, pinon-juniper woodland, grasslands, scrublands, sandhills, marshes, and cultivated fields.
Notes: May reach up to 9 ft. in length. May be mistaken for a rattlesnake. It is a great rodent catcher.
Photo: Taken at Coon Bluff on July 23, 2006. More photos from CNUW's biodiversity sites are available below; click on the image for a larger version.
Coon Bluff:
