Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We recently got our first Pituophis, this was labeled "Bullsnake" but was curious what everyone thought, we live in Pacific Gopher region, some people said it had characteristics of a Great Basin Bull...or something.

I was curious what you keepers thought? Does it look like a regular Bullsnake? or does it resemble a certain locale? Its not a huge deal to me, he sure has been fun, after doing Boas and Pythons for many years, its kind of refreshing to work with a new species of snake. I thought it was pretty clean and light...I have been trying to find pics of simular "Bullsnakes"...to maybe get a better idea of what kind of Bullsnake it is...or does that matter?

Thanks everyone..

I'm no expert, but that looks like a Great Basin Gopher (Pituophis catenifer deserticola) to me.
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Diego

SWCHR

That's Bull if you ask me Senor Diego - no seriously, the blocthing is way to discrete in my opinion for a western race where there is typically more of a connected "chain" pattern, hence the specific name once applied only to the western forms, e.g., catenifer, albeit that is currently the specifc epithet for all U.S. occuring Pits. Sure is a good looking snake, much too clean for a P. c. deserticola IMVHO

But I didn't ask you, Señor Brad. J/K

Seriously, I don't know exactly why it screams deserticola to me, but it does. Maybe even an intergrade with affinis?
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Diego

SWCHR

I believe that's a Great Basin Gopher. I like it's looks! Where did it come from???

Shalom,

Pat GC

Thanks everyone for your opinions, Most likely its a Mutt...lol

Here are some new outside pics of him, in the past I never really gave Pituophis a second thought, but after this little one, I am really liking them.

Thanks again for all the replies everyone Please keep them comming...if you think its a cross of some type, what kind do you think it is?

You think its even a "Bullsnake" or could it be a "Gopher"...Still learning about these things...

And my favorite pic...Staring me down......lol

Those are great pics!! I still think that is a Great Basin.

http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/p.c.deserticola.html

Check out the Clark County, NV one.
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Diego

SWCHR

The pattern and rostral strongly suggest that this animal is a Bullsnake. Nothing about it suggests any of the subs/species from further west. The coloration reminds me of the many Colorado specimens that I've examined, bred, and hatched. Books focusing on the herps of given states and regions are a great resource for learning ID of these and other herps.

Bart

to me it looks like a gopher or a gopher bull mix.
I mainly base this off its "super-ocular" scale size. bulls tend to have a large scale that comes off the eye that makes them look like they are scowling, gophers tend to have this too, but to a smaller degree...
Sill, Im no expert at distinguishing between the two, just throwin my own opinion out there....
~Dustin
SO CAL SERPENTS