I have been eyeing your "yorba linda gophers" for some time. They have always struck me as mis-identified. Let me elaborate:

#1) I have collected well over 60 gophers in Yorba Linda, back in the day, for sales outside of CA. I had a boardline behind a church that produced well for me. None looked like yours

#2) If you go 10 miles in any direction from your collection point the gophers will all look very similar and will look like standard SD gophers. This leads to believe some man-made condition has occurred.

Here is what I suspect happened. Someone bred albino Sonorans, yet did not have the California breeder's permit to sell the hets or poss hets. They lived in or near enough to Yorba Linda to know the habitat. They then released the hets into this region. Some time later you collect your animals. Obviously I think they seem very Sonoran X San Diego to make these statements.

This is simply an idea, a guess really and I have no science to back it up. Just a few thoughts from a fellow Pit lover!

No matter what your animals are cool. Nice looking indeed. I hope the bloodline remains pure (as it is).

FWIW, the same Church produced 46 helleri one February morning!
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AMAZON REPTILE CENTER

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