Pituophis catenifer

Pacific gopher snake
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Pituophis
Species:	P. catenifer
Binomial name
Pituophis catenifer (Blainville, 1835)
Synonyms
Coluber catenifer Blainville, 1835 Pituophis catenifer — Baird & Girard, 1853 Pityophis heermanni Hallowell, 1853 Elaphis reticulatus A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1854 Pityophis hæmatois Cope, 1860 Coluber catenifer — Boulenger, 1894 Pituophis catenifer — Stejneger & Barbour, 1917[2][3][4]

Common names: Pacific gopher snake, coast gopher snake, western gopher snake^[5] (more here).

Pituophis catenifer is a species of non-venomous colubrid snake endemic to North America. Nine subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominotypical subspecies, P. c. catenifer, described here.^[6] This snake is often mistaken for the prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridus), but can be easily distinguished from a rattlesnake by the lack of a tail rattle, no black-and-white banding on its tail, and by the shape of its head, which is narrower than a rattlesnake's. Additionally, rattlesnakes (and indeed most vipers) possess a large venom gland located behind each eye, giving their heads a much rounder, more angular shape, as opposed to the more cylindrical, slender head shape of a gopher snake or other colubrid.