FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
You may find snakes repulsive or disgusting, but you would start appreciating them when you know about their role in balancing the ecosystem. Without them, humanity will be doomed by another plague or a rat-bite fever.
One such snake species which predominantly feeds on rodents and saves humanity from rodents' havoc is the Great Basin gopher snake. The Great Basin gopher snake feeds on gophers and other rodents, controls their population, and saves our crops from these pests. Because of its markings and behavior, it is often mistaken for a rattlesnake, but the most crucial difference between the two is that the gopher snakes are non-poisonous. Their habitat ranges from rocky mountains or deserts to riparian or forest areas. This Great Basin gopher snake is also known as the Bullsnake.
Read on to enjoy more exciting facts about this one-of-a-kind species. If snakes fascinate you, check our contents on the black rat snake and western ribbon snake.
The Great basin gopher ( Pituophis catenifer deserticola) is a non-poisonous snake.
The Great Basin gopher snake ( Pituophis catenifer deserticola) belongs to the class of Reptilia like all other snakes.
The exact number of Great Basin gopher snakes is unknown. But it has been placed under the Threatened category, and if appropriate measures are not taken, it can soon move to the Endangered category.
This subspecies - gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer deserticola) lives across the southern and western parts United States of America like Nevada, Washington, Idaho, Colorado, California, Arizona, and British Columbia in Canada.
The gopher snake subspecies' habitat is rocky mountains, desert areas, sagebrush, shrubby areas, riparian areas, forests, and grasslands. These gopher snakes often move into burrows to protect themselves from predators and freezing at night or getting dehydrated during the day.
The Pituophis catenifer deserticola prefers to live a solitary life except during the mating season. They live alone in their underground burrows and emerge when they want to hunt for their prey.
Some reports suggest that the average lifespan of this subspecies is seven years. In comparison, some reports suggest that the lifespan is between 12-15 years, and the highest recorded age in captivity is 33 years and 10 months.
The male and female gopher snakes mate during the spring season, and the female gopher snakes lay their eggs between June to August. The females lay around 3-24 eggs, with two to eight eggs being the average. The eggs hatch after 65-75 days, and the female doesn't incubate the eggs. After hatching, the young snakes that emerge take care of themselves. It takes four years for the female snakes of this subspecies to reach sexual maturity, whereas it takes only one and a half years for the males to mature.
The Basin gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer deserticola) has been put under the Threatened status by COSEWIC since 2013. The reasons for its population decrease include road mortality, low reproduction rate, habitat loss, late maturity age, and poaching.
The average length of this Basin gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer deserticola) is about 4.5 ft, but a few can grow up to 9 ft in length. The back of this gopher snake subspecies consists of dark brown or black blotches of a cream-like to yellowish color. Sometimes, these blotches combine to form lines that run on the sides of the gopher snake's body till its tail. The whole body is covered in keeled scales, which become smoother on the sides, and the head has a pointed shape. The underbelly is creamy with irregular dark, black blotches.
Many people find snakes intolerable and disgusting. But some find them adorable and prefer to keep them as pets. So the answer to whether they are cute or not depends on your personal preference.
The Pituophis catenifer deserticola subspecies communicate via chemical secretions, vision, vibrations, and touch. During the mating season, the female attracts the male by releasing skin secretions, and male snakes reach the females by using their tongue or nose to smell the surroundings. They are capable of making loud hissing sounds when they feel threatened.
This snake Great Basin gopher is the largest snake species of British Columbia, and an adult's length ranges from 35-95 in (89-241.3 cm). Recently hatched young ones are about 11-14 in (28-35.6 cm) long.
The exact speed with which they move is unknown, but they slither away very fast with their peculiar S-shaped muscle contractions.
The exact weight of the Great Basin snake is unknown, but it is likely to be similar to the weight of other gopher snake subspecies whose weight is in the range of 2-4 lb (0.9-1.8 lb).
Male and female gopher snake species do not have any specific names. They are known as male gopher snakes and female gopher snakes, respectively.
There are no specific names for the baby of the Great Basin gopher snake. Like other snakes, its baby is also known as a snakelet or hatchling or a juvenile snake, or a young gopher snake.
This Great Basin gopher snake uses constriction to kill its prey. Their prey includes insects, lizards, small mammals, rabbits, birds, and eggs. Its primary diet consists of rodents like gophers, and hence it is known as a gopher snake.
This snake, a Great basin gopher, is non-poisonous. It can attack you or hurt you only when it feels threatened and will do it only as a last resort. They can't be called friendly, but they are calm and passive even in the wild.
Because of its docile and calm nature, this gopher snake species is preferred by those who like to keep exotic pets. It can be easily raised even by a novice owner as it requires minimal maintenance. An adult gopher snake would need a 30-gallon glass tank with at least 12 hours of artificial lighting. A thermal gradient in the form of a heat bulb must be provided at one end of the glass tank with an ideal temperature of 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit. An ideal hiding place and a freshwater bowl should be provided inside the enclosure. The substrate should be dry and can be either wooden shavings or paper liners. The enclosure needs to be cleaned regularly to prevent any skin infections for the snake. Food needs to be given only once a week, and make sure you don't overfeed the species. You can feed it frozen or thawed prey items or live or pre-killed rodents.
Some of the main predators of the Great Basin gopher snakes include foxes, hawks, and coyotes.
This snake, the Great basin gopher, can mimic a rattlesnake when it feels threatened. This subspecies will flatten its head, make loud hissing sounds and vibrate its tail rapidly, and does an excellent convincing imitation of rattlesnake species when in danger.
The color of the Great Basin gopher snake is a result of evolution over different centuries and is transferred via genes. The color depends on the subspecies and their location. The color and patterns on its skin are designed in such a way that it helps the snake to blend in with its surroundings. This blending feature helps it hide from its prey while hunting and protects it from its predators.
Great basin gopher snakes are larger than rattlesnakes. These gopher snakes are slimmer than the rattlesnakes, with heads as slim as the rest of the body. Rattlesnakes have a wide, triangular head. The most crucial difference is that Great Basin gopher snakes are non-venomous, whereas rattlesnakes are highly poisonous. The rattlesnake's tail will have rattles, whereas gopher snakes do not have rattles. Gopher snakes have round pupils, whereas rattlesnakes have cat-like slit pupils.
Gopher snakes compete with rattlesnakes for food and territory as they have the same diet and habitat preference. Gopher snakes help to keep the rattlesnakes away from their habitat. Gopher snakes put up a tough fight to safeguard their territory, and they can even kill a rattlesnake if the two get into a fight.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other reptiles from our coral snake surprising facts and kingsnake fun facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable great basin gopher snake coloring pages.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pituophis_catenifer_deserticola
http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/p.c.deserticola.html
https://www.ndow.org/species/great-basin-gopher-snake/
https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=209407#null
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.