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Visitors to Wildlife Wednesday on July 17 will have a chance to meet a celebrity reptile resident of our Jesse Jones Nature Center family – “Pooper” -- our own Sonoran Gophersnake (Pituophis catenifer affinis).
Found in Texas, New Mexico, southern Arizona, and southeastern California, the Sonoran Gophersnake is nonvenomous and harmless to humans. Although it can be aggressive, it settles down well in captivity. When threatened, it will sometimes hiss, inflate the body, and flatten the head, and shake the tail rapidly which may sound like a rattle if done in dry leaves.
The Sonoran Gophersnake is a large snake with heavily keeled scales. The head is narrow and slightly wider than the neck. The body's background color is straw, light brown or tan, with large brown or reddish blotches or saddles along the back and smaller markings on the sides. The back of the neck is yellow or tan with small black spots. The underside is cream or yellowish with dark spots. The Sonoran Gophersnake has tough skin on the nose to assist with burrowing into gopher holes. They also hibernate in rodent burrows.
One of the longest snakes found in Texas, they can reach lengths of 7 feet or more. Large adults are usually around 4 feet.
They can be aggressive, both in the wild and sometimes in captivity. If disturbed, it will often elevate its head well above body level and strike savagely from a modified coil. If sufficiently angered it may, while striking, actually move toward a person. They may shake their tail which can sound very much like a rattlesnake to the untrained ear. They will flatten out their heads into a triangular shape. They also have a modified epiglottis which will vibrate while they are hissing. They usually calm down when handled, but remember, they can and will bite. This will vary among individuals.
Gophersnakes are egg-layers. They mate in early spring and lay eggs about 30 days later, usually between June and August. The eggs incubate for about 60 days before hatching after approximately 8-10 weeks.
Gophersnakes are constrictors. They K*ll their prey by suffocating them in body coils or by pressing the prey against the walls of underground burrow. Their prey may include a variety of small mammals including mice, rats, gophers, squirrels, rabbits, etc. They will also eat birds and their eggs. Occasionally, they will also eat lizards or other snakes.
To learn more about this beneficial ophidian, come to Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 17. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet “Pooper” in person and learn the story behind his unusual name.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
20634 Kenswick Dr, Humble, TX, United States, Texas 77338
