As a mechanism for defense, gopher snakes can make themselves look and sound like a rattlesnake. Gopher snakes are large, heavy-bodied snakes that are commonly four to five feet long but can get to over nine feet long. Try browsing the Other Colubrids Index if you're looking for something … Family: Colubridae (colubrid snakes) Pituophis catenifer affinis ( Hollowell, 1852-Proc. Each tries to maintain its head and body position, although occasionally they will exert so much force that they roll. During the summer 2 to 24 eggs are laid which hatch in the fall. In parts of North America this animal is known as the Bull Snake. Other common names: bullsnake Subscribe Share. Sci. Acad. Gopher Snake Description and Notes The gopher snake is a large, heavy-bodied snake. Only the Western Terrestrial Garter Snake (Thamnophis elegans) inhabits the Grand Canyon. This is one of the most widespread snakes in North America. The gopher snake is active mainly during the day, except in extreme heat when it ventures out at night. Gopher snakes use communal dens for winter hibernation. Spanish names: víbora sorda. It may do you the service of eating your pack rats, then move on. Because of this behavior and their color pattern, they are often mistaken for rattlesnakes. Male gopher snakes engage in ritualistic combats during the spring mating season. These little animals are active year round, always digging and extending their tunnel systems. A baby Sonoran gopher snake in Sahuarita, Arizona. Gopher snakes are oviparous, meaning they lay eggs. Gopher snakes can easily survive up to 10 years in the wild and from 12 to 15 years in captivity. Will not usually venture far from its rock pile which is usually … In Tucson and Pima County, Desert Wildlife Services rarely encounters specimens of much massive length. We have … Speckled rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii) [individuals living in … Gopher snakes have a large range: all of the U.S., southern Canada, and as far south as southern Sinaloa in Mexico. Gopher snakes are capable of reproducing when they reach the age of 3 to 4 years. On its back are 33 to 66 light- to dark-brown or reddish blotches on a ground color of yellow, straw, tan or cream. Each tries to maintain its head and body position, although occasionally they will exert so much force that they roll. The combatants remain on the ground, entwined from tail to neck. If you see a gopher snake in your yard, let it be. They are easily seen in spring when the male snakes are out and about trying to find a mate. They hunt during the day except in very hot weather, when they become night hunters. They hunt mainly by sense of smell. Subscribe Today For Daily Delivery & Access To Puzzles, Maricopa County Supervisors Sue Again To Invalidate Legislative Subpoenas, Hummingbird Capital Designation Could Boost Tourism Efforts In Sierra Vista, Attorneys For Mormon Church Deny Responsibility For Bisbee Bishops’ Failure To Protect Children From Abuse, Disillusioned Former Followers Find McCarthy Struggling To Gain Relevancy In Arizona Politics, Arizona Legislature Week In Review – Week Ending Feb 5, 2021, Lost Jobs And Rising Hunger: St. Mary’s Food Bank Shifts Gears During COVID-19, Suns Coach Williams On Kaminsky Start: It’s ‘The Way We’re Going To Do This Moving Forward’, Sierra Vista Man Arrested For Sexual Exploitation Of A Minor, Kelly And Sinema Accused Of Betraying Democrats And Immigrants In “Quest To Appear Bipartisan”, Hiker Dies After Fall In Mohave County’s Virgin River Gorge, Verdugo Enterprises Ordered To Pay Over $6 Million In Restitution For Hispanic Christian Church Congregations, Luxury Suites, Players Lounge: ASU Excited For Addition Of Multi-Use Sports Facility, From Tyrann Mathieu To Bruce Arians, Super Bowl LV Has Strong Arizona Ties, Hurley, ASU Took A Tumble But Now Have An Opportunity To Stick The Landing, Ethics Committee Unanimously Votes To Investigate Sen. Wendy Rogers, Border Patrol Agents Arrest Group Of Iranians In Yuma Area, Republican Leaders In AZ Legislature Call For Ward To Allow Audit Of AZGOP Election Or Resign.