Snakes

Pituophis catenifer deserticola is the scientific name for the Great Basis Gopher Snake. Adults of this species can be 2.5 - 7 feet long but are most commonly under 5 ft. long. One of the most commonly seen snakes on roads and trails, especially in the spring when males are actively seeking a mate, and in the fall when hatchlings emerge. A good burrower, climber, and swimmer. A powerful constrictor; kills prey by suffocating them in body coils or by pressing the animal against the walls of their underground burrows. When threatened, a gophersnake willl sometimes inflate its body, flatten its head and produce a loud hiss, often while moving its tail back and forth quickly which may sound like a rattle if this is done in dry vegetation. They eat small mammals, especially pocket gophers, birds and their eggs, and occasionally lizards and insects. Found in a variety of habitats - grassland, coastal sage scrub, agricultural lands, riparian areas, woodlands, and desert, from sea level to the mountains. Especially common in coastal areas. A very common snake, but often mistaken for the similar rattlesnake and killed unnecessarily. Frequently killed by traffic when crossing roads.

This is a Great Basis Gopher Snake, photographed during the summer of 2008, on the road leading south out of the Little Grand Canyon.