- SCIENTIFIC NAME
- Pituophis catenifer deserticola
- CLASSIFICATION
- Reptile
- LIFE SPAN
- 10-15 Years
- STATE CONSERVATION STATUS
-
- Unprotected
- FEDERAL CONSERVATION STATUS
- Least Concern
- GAME STATUS
- Non-Game
- Washoe
- Humboldt
- Pershing
- Churchill
- Mineral
- Lyon
- Douglas
- Carson City
- Storey
- Elko
- Lander
- Eureka
- White Pine
- Esmeralda
- Nye
- Lincoln
- Clark
Habitat & Range
Great Basin Gopher Snakes are found throughout Nevada. They occupy a wide variety of habitats. They prefer open areas for hunting such as grasslands, shrublands, and open forests. They also need rocky areas and soils soft enough for animals to burrow in that they use to hibernate.
- Cold desert shrubland and sagebrush
- Desert Washes
- Mojave desert
Threats
- Habitat Loss
Natural History
Great Basin Gopher Snakes are mostly diurnal and are one of the most spotted snakes in Nevada in the daytime. They do spend a lot of their time in burrows or sheltered under rocks in crevices.
These snakes eat a wide range of animals, mostly small mammals, birds and bird eggs, lizards, and other snakes. They subdue their prey with constriction. They find their prey in burrows and while out roaming in other sheltered areas. They occasionally consume rattlesnakes.
Predators that may consume a Great Basin Gopher Snake include birds of prey, coyotes, kit foxes, and sometimes kingsnakes. Many animals will prey on their eggs. They lay around 2 – 20 eggs in a clutch.
Fun Facts
OTHER Species
