Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've seen the "Is this wild Pituophis snake I saw in the field a hypo?" question asked a lot and now I reckon I'm asking it. I was in NorCal earlier in the month finding a few of last year's Pacific Gopher Snakes, most of which looked like this:

But on the last day I found this one:

It certainly lacks black pigment, but do you think that it's a "genetic" (simple recessive trait) hypo or just a natural variation in the amount of black?

Tim
Third Eye

It looks a lot like this one (my Oregon bank find). Here it is in early February when I first got it.

This morning; getting plump! Loves to eat.

I think this is just a normal variation in the amount of black.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

Looks hypo. Maybe "blonde". Either way, it's a keeper worthy of locale experimentation. Awesome snake! Envy would be my recomendation for the answers you are looking for.

Looks hypo,.

HI Tim

I agree with Bob. I think its just a natural color variation. The only way to find out I guess would to keep it and breed it to a normal. Then breed back the offspring together and see want happens. Lots of time and effort.

Jason

Thanks Jason,

I didn't keep the snake, I was on vacation and photographing and releasing stuff. The snake looks very much like Bob's, it was in the bright sun so from the photograph it appears to be a bit lighter than in real life.

Tim

I hear ya Tim. I don't keep anything. Maybe something rare or odd, but it would have to be obvious.

Cool snake pics you posted.

Jason

You'd just have to keep it and breed it to find out. Beautiful catenifer indeed.
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Pituophis c. annectans
Senticolis t. intermedia
Rhinechis scalaris
Elaphe bairdi
Lampropeltis zonata
Lampropeltis t. campbelli
Lampropeltis m. thayeri

I still have my little snake, as it was given to me and there is no reasonable way I could return it to the bank (financial institution, not river bank) in southern Oregon. Once it grows up I may mate it to one of my others. It's pattern is interesting, what with a lot more saddles than the usual. I would be interested to know where approximately in California Tim found his.

Yesterday I found an adult sunbathing right in the middle of the road, and brought it home for safe keeping until I can release it today at a safe place (my friend's place which is infested with gophers and is far from paved roads). It looks like the more normal large blotched one in Tim's first photo.

In my area they tend to be reddish with large blotches.

He was funny; when I picked him up off the dangerous road and put him in a big bag, and brought him home, he was calm, but once he was in the tub he got pretty hissy spitty. Some aspen, a hiding saucer, water bowl and a belly full of mice helped him accept his temporary captivity.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

Bob,

I like the orange tint on that snake. I found the snake that I was wondering was a hypo on Skyline Drive in Santa Clara County. Here's a slightly darker one than the one in my orginal post. This was was found a mile or two down the road from the original and in 2010.

Tim

Third Eye Herp

That's a pretty pattern! I was thinking maybe mine was only found in Oregon, but I guess s they are spread all over the coast.

The one I rescued off the road has made himself at home in his new place. He was under a big sheet of plywood only a few feet from the big wood pile where I released him yesterday, looking pretty at ease. He'll put a dent in the rodent population for sure.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.