Gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer)
The gopher snake is a non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae. GBIF holds 14,849 licensed U.S. records of it; it reaches our listing threshold in 23 states, most of all California (7,188), Texas (1,440) and Arizona (1,413). Its observation records peak in May.
Pituophis catenifer, the gopher snake, is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake endemic to North America. Nine subspecies are currently recognized.
From Wikipedia: Pituophis catenifer, text under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is the gopher snake poisonous or venomous?
No. The gopher snake is non-venomous: it belongs to the family Colubridae, not to the pit vipers or coral snakes, the only U.S. land snakes with medically dangerous venom. It may bite if handled; clean the bite like any small wound.
Often mistaken for
The gopher snake is non-venomous, but people often take it for rattlesnakes (both are recorded in 23 of its 23 states).
Which states have the gopher snake?
Records are spread over 23 states; the top three, California, Texas and Arizona, hold 68% of them. It is the most recorded snake of all in New Mexico and Nevada.
The count includes 1,782 records filed under the older name Pituophis melanoleucus in Arizona (308), California (343), Colorado (38), Idaho (60), Illinois (4), Indiana (6), Iowa (27), Kansas (40), Montana (17), Nebraska (27), Nevada (237), New Mexico (82), North Dakota (3), Oklahoma (16), Oregon (31), South Dakota (24), Texas (365), Utah (101), Washington (27), Wisconsin (2) and Wyoming (24).
| # | State | Records | Share of state snakes | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 7,188 | 9.8% | 2nd of 46 |
| 2 | Texas | 1,440 | 3.5% | 10th of 86 |
| 3 | Arizona | 1,413 | 6.8% | 3rd of 60 |
| 4 | New Mexico | 710 | 11.0% | 1st of 56 |
| 5 | Nevada | 673 | 16.7% | 1st of 27 |
| 6 | Kansas | 632 | 4.3% | 6th of 44 |
| 7 | Utah | 505 | 15.2% | 2nd of 28 |
| 8 | Colorado | 365 | 10.5% | 3rd of 26 |
| 9 | Oregon | 325 | 4.3% | 4th of 16 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | 291 | 2.2% | 16th of 50 |
| 11 | Washington | 246 | 4.6% | 5th of 11 |
| 12 | Idaho | 204 | 13.8% | 2nd of 11 |
| 13 | Nebraska | 204 | 8.7% | 4th of 31 |
| 14 | South Dakota | 185 | 5.8% | 5th of 16 |
| 15 | Montana | 147 | 11.5% | 3rd of 9 |
| 16 | Wyoming | 112 | 10.5% | 3rd of 11 |
| 17 | Iowa | 83 | 7.9% | 4th of 22 |
| 18 | Minnesota | 31 | 3.4% | 4th of 15 |
| 19 | North Dakota | 30 | 13.9% | 2nd of 8 |
| 20 | Illinois | 26 | 0.9% | 20th of 33 |
| 21 | Indiana | 19 | 0.9% | 20th of 27 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | 15 | 1.5% | 12th of 16 |
| 23 | Missouri | 1 | 0.1% | 35th of 36 |
When is the gopher snake seen?
Across the U.S., observation records of the gopher snake run mostly March through October, peaking in May with 28% of them. Winter (December to February) holds 3% of them.
Season by state
Among states whose main season falls within one calendar year, it starts earliest in March (Arizona and California) and latest in May (Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon and South Dakota). The most common peak month is May, shared by Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana and 6 more.
| State | Main season | Peak month | Observation records |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | March through October | May | 2,709 |
| Arizona | March through September | May | 370 |
| Texas | April through November | June | 282 |
| New Mexico | April through September | July | 271 |
| Colorado | April through September | May | 264 |
| Utah | April through September | May | 212 |
| Oregon | May through October | May | 197 |
| Nevada | April through September | May | 108 |
| Washington | April through August | May | 103 |
| Idaho | April through September | May | 97 |
| Kansas | May through October | May | 91 |
| Nebraska | May through September | May | 86 |
| Montana | May through September | May | 57 |
| South Dakota | May through September | May | 52 |
Where the gopher snake is recorded in each state
California
California holds 7,188 licensed records, the 2nd most recorded of 46 snakes listed there. Its observation records in California run mostly March through October, peaking in May; most licensed records come from San Diego County, Santa Clara County and Los Angeles County. Next come Alameda County (392) and Santa Barbara County (383).
Texas
Texas holds 1,440 licensed records, the 10th most recorded of 86 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Texas run mostly April through November, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Brewster County, El Paso County and Jeff Davis County. Next come Hudspeth County (74) and Randall County (58).
Arizona
Arizona holds 1,413 licensed records, the 3rd most recorded of 60 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Arizona run mostly March through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Cochise County, Pima County and Maricopa County. Next come Pinal County (100) and Coconino County (86).
New Mexico
New Mexico holds 710 licensed records, the most recorded of 56 snakes listed there. Its observation records in New Mexico run mostly April through September, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Hidalgo County, Doña Ana County and Grant County. Next come Eddy County (47) and Bernalillo County (46).
Nevada
Nevada holds 673 licensed records, the most recorded of 27 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Nevada run mostly April through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Clark County, Washoe County and Nye County. Next come White Pine County (52) and Elko County (45).
Kansas
Kansas holds 632 licensed records, the 6th most recorded of 44 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Kansas run mostly May through October, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Ellis County, Trego County and Morton County. Next come Meade County (25) and Russell County (23).
Utah
Utah holds 505 licensed records, the 2nd most recorded of 28 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Utah run mostly April through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Salt Lake County, Tooele County and Washington County. Next come Grand County (31) and Millard County (29).
Colorado
Colorado holds 365 licensed records, the 3rd most recorded of 26 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Colorado run mostly April through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Boulder County, Larimer County and El Paso County. Next come Pueblo County (21) and Weld County (21).
Oregon
Oregon holds 325 licensed records, the 4th most recorded of 16 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Oregon run mostly May through October, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Lane County, Harney County and Benton County. Next come Wasco County (25) and Jackson County (19).
Oklahoma
Oklahoma holds 291 licensed records, the 16th most recorded of 50 snakes listed there. Most of its licensed records in Oklahoma come from Cleveland County, Cimarron County and Comanche County. Next come Garfield County (15) and Alfalfa County (15).
Washington
Washington holds 246 licensed records, the 5th most recorded of 11 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Washington run mostly April through August, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Grant County, Walla Walla County and Klickitat County. Next come Yakima County (22) and Chelan County (20).
Idaho
Idaho holds 204 licensed records, the 2nd most recorded of 11 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Idaho run mostly April through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Ada County, Idaho County and Owyhee County. Next come Bannock County (16) and Elmore County (11).
Nebraska
Nebraska holds 204 licensed records, the 4th most recorded of 31 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Nebraska run mostly May through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Dundy County, Dawes County and Kimball County. Next come Scotts Bluff County (14) and Lancaster County (11).
South Dakota
South Dakota holds 185 licensed records, the 5th most recorded of 16 snakes listed there. Its observation records in South Dakota run mostly May through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Pennington County, Jackson County and Custer County. Next come Clay County (15) and Harding County (15).
Montana
Montana holds 147 licensed records, the 3rd most recorded of 9 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Montana run mostly May through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Carbon County, Fergus County and Phillips County. Next come Big Horn County (9) and Missoula County (9).
Wyoming
Wyoming holds 112 licensed records, the 3rd most recorded of 11 snakes listed there. Most of its licensed records in Wyoming come from Platte County, Park County and Sheridan County. Next come Big Horn County (9) and Laramie County (8).
Iowa
Iowa holds 83 licensed records, the 4th most recorded of 22 snakes listed there. Most of its licensed records in Iowa come from Woodbury County, Guthrie County and Story County. Next come Madison County (6) and Montgomery County (4).
Minnesota
Minnesota holds 31 licensed records, the 4th most recorded of 15 snakes listed there. Most of its licensed records in Minnesota come from Anoka County, Sherburne County and Hennepin County. Next come Pine County (2) and Wright County (2).
North Dakota
North Dakota holds 30 licensed records, the 2nd most recorded of 8 snakes listed there. Most of its licensed records in North Dakota come from Billings County, McKenzie County and Morton County. Next come Sioux County (2) and Dunn County (1).
Top counties in the U.S.
| # | County | State | Records | Share of U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego County | California | 764 | 5.1% |
| 2 | Santa Clara County | California | 496 | 3.3% |
| 3 | Los Angeles County | California | 468 | 3.2% |
| 4 | Alameda County | California | 392 | 2.6% |
| 5 | Santa Barbara County | California | 383 | 2.6% |
| 6 | Riverside County | California | 378 | 2.5% |
| 7 | Cochise County | Arizona | 372 | 2.5% |
| 8 | San Bernardino County | California | 332 | 2.2% |
| 9 | Pima County | Arizona | 291 | 2.0% |
| 10 | Contra Costa County | California | 289 | 1.9% |
| 11 | San Mateo County | California | 284 | 1.9% |
| 12 | San Luis Obispo County | California | 280 | 1.9% |
| 13 | Kern County | California | 269 | 1.8% |
| 14 | San Joaquin County | California | 248 | 1.7% |
| 15 | Monterey County | California | 231 | 1.6% |
How recent are the gopher snake records?
The gopher snake record leans on older material: only 32% of dated U.S. records come from 2017–2026, and the median record is from 1988. The oldest dated record is from 1855; the busiest year was 2024, with 709 records.
| Decade | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 3 | 0.0% |
| 1860s | 2 | 0.0% |
| 1870s | 14 | 0.1% |
| 1880s | 21 | 0.1% |
| 1890s | 90 | 0.6% |
| 1900s | 106 | 0.7% |
| 1910s | 262 | 1.8% |
| 1920s | 375 | 2.6% |
| 1930s | 1,047 | 7.2% |
| 1940s | 985 | 6.8% |
| 1950s | 765 | 5.3% |
| 1960s | 1,247 | 8.6% |
| 1970s | 948 | 6.5% |
| 1980s | 1,568 | 10.8% |
| 1990s | 582 | 4.0% |
| 2000s | 920 | 6.3% |
| 2010s | 1,673 | 11.5% |
| 2020s | 3,896 | 26.9% |
Species recorded in the same counties
Of the 471 counties where the gopher snake is most recorded, 165 are also top counties for the eastern racer, more than for any other snake. Venomous species among its neighbors: the prairie rattlesnake and the western rattlesnake.
| Species | Shared counties |
|---|---|
| Eastern racer | 165 |
| Prairie rattlesnake venomous | 124 |
| Western rattlesnake venomous | 122 |
| Western terrestrial garter snake | 118 |
| Common garter snake | 115 |
| Coachwhip | 94 |
| Ring-necked snake | 92 |
| Striped whipsnake | 85 |
Related species in the U.S.
Other members of the family Colubridae with profiles here: Western terrestrial garter snake, Common garter snake, Ring-necked snake, Northern water snake, Eastern racer and DeKay's brown snake.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.