I have to agree with PitFan....... It is a variable ssp. across its range but if forced to assign localities I would do it in that order for the same reason! alright, how did we do?????





Also, as noted earlier sonoran gophers have been assigned a variety of taxonomic positions including Pituophis sayi afinis as a ssp of P. sayi. I had always heard that the origin of affinis related to this group's "affinity" or likeness to sayi, (as noted in Sweet's paper for SSAR).



I am one of those biologists who calls them bullsnakes... when I am talking with a lay audience. For a majority of folks if I talked about a Sonoran Gopher snake they would not have a clue what I was talking about but when I say "bullsnake".... I tend to get, "Oh, Yeah! I know what that is". I generally try to impart that bull snake is a term more appropriately used to describe another snake but generally eyes start to glaze over at that point.... Hard to retrain what folks have already learned..... somewhat of a lost cause.







I feel fortunate to get the opportunity to see wild individuals with a fair bit of regularity.... Very underrated group.



When i first moved out here I recall finding a big male while hiking. He was stretched out for a bit of thermoregulation. I reached down and picked him up and he turned, gave me a rather quick bite and then looked up at my face... I got a laugh out of it....





Thanks for the great post!

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