Pituophis catenifer affinis


Pituophis catenifer affinis, commonly known as the Sonoran gopher snake, is a nonvenomous subspecies of colubrid that is endemic to the southwestern United States. It is one of six recognized subspecies of the gopher snake, Pituophis catenifer.

Geographic range

It is found from central Texas across the Southwestern United States to southeastern California, Arizona, and south into the northern states of Mexico, especially in the Sonoran Desert.

Description

Adults average in total length. The maximum recorded total length is.
The saddle-shaped dorsal blotches are reddish brown, except for near and on the tail, where they are dark brown or blackish.
The rostral is about as long as it is broad, not elongated as in other Pituophis subspecies.

Habitat

It inhabits primarily very dry, desert ecology ecosystems.

Diet

They feed on small rodents, hence the common name gopher snake.

Behavior

They are fairly aggressive but can be domesticated, and become very gentle. They have hard tough skin on their noses used to burrow into gopher holes and the burrows of other rodents. During the winter they hibernate. They invade gopher holes and holes of other burrowing rodents and eat what they need to stay alive in the invaded burrow.

Reproduction

P. c. affinis is oviparous. Adult females lay 7-22 eggs in July or August. The eggs average. The hatchlings are about in total length.