WORLD PITUOPHIS WEB PAGE BY PATRICK H. BRIGGS

Photo by Patrick Houston Briggs Courtesy Laurence Hope (Below is an upset Pacific Gopher Snake from Hanford- Kings County CA) 

Gopher, Pine, and Bull Snakes-The Genus Pituophis

By Patrick Houston Briggs

The genus Pituophis pronounced "pit-chew-oh-fis" is a collection of contrictors with similar characteristics classified within the ophidian family Colubridae. They are gopher snakes, pine snakes, and bull snakes. The scientific name comes from the Latin word pituitarius referring to phlegm  or mucus. It could be associated with the intense hissing produced by these snakes. Interestingly, Pitys is also Greek for "pine" and Latin for "pine-cone", so it is very appropriate for the the pine snake species. The ophis portion of this scientific name is Greek for snake. Holbrook established the first Pituophis in 1842 upon the northern form of pine snake that is recorded by Daudin as Coluber melanoleucus in 1803. Coluber is Latin for snake. Many of the Colubrids have 2 prefrontal scales, but within the genus Pituophis, with the exception of a few species, there is usually a trademark of 4 prefrontals, at least on most individuals. Others may vary a little within a species, with some individuals deviating from the rule, having only 2 or others having azygous or intermediate scales between the prefontal and internasals especially within intergrade zones.

 Photo by Patrick Houston Briggs Courtesy Lloyd Lemke (Below is a large powerful female Northern Pine Snake)

The first image below on the right is the upper head of Pituophis deppei deppei and clearly shows only 2 pre-frontal scales touching the frontal scale ( the center scale beween the eyes). On the right side image, can be seen Pituophis catenifer annectens clearly possessing 4 pre-frontal scales contacting the frontal.

Photo print scans by Patrick Briggs

                      MEXICAN PINE SNAKE                                                                                                  SAN DIEGO GOPHER SNAKE

The Cincuate (Seen-Qua-Tay) Bull Snake Pituophis lineaticollis lineaticollis

 Photo By Patrick Houston Briggs Courtesy Thomas Moisi (Specimen below is Cuerno Vaca, Mexican Stock)

Although there are exceptions, such as a few island forms, these snakes can grow to be robust, powerful, constrictors that prey on lizards, birds and their eggs, as well as rodents, such as gophers, rats, mice, and young rabbits. Generally they are clad in light ground coloration with dark blotches and spots, but individuals have been found in nearly all the different races that also have the striped pattern morph. Color and pattern variation is extreme, both at the specific and subspecific levels of Pituophis. Some, such as Pituophis vertebralis are split up as pattern classes by some authorities, while others give them subspecies status. Furthermore, a few, such as Pituophis melanoleucus lodingi lose their pattern completely as they mature, and become completely "melanistic" or black as adults. Many Pituophis also have darker markings toward the rear and front of their bodies while they are much lighter at the mid-body which makes them appear as two different kinds of snakes.

Photo by Patrick Houston Briggs Courtesy Laurence Hope (Below is an upset Pacific Gopher Snake from Hanford- Kings County CA)

 Listen to Pituophis hissing here:  http://www.californiaherps.com/sounds/pituophishissing406.mp3 Sound Courtesy Gary Nafis

Temperment of different Pituophis can vary just as much from one individual to another as it can from one species or race to another one. I've always been impressed at the tenacity of some of these reptiles that have been cornered or feel threatened in the wild. Indeed, if they are agitated, muscular coils are deliberately flexed and relaxed and the head is boldly raised and flattened as the tongue extends and slowly rises and lowers, the bifurcated tip droops downward. At the same time an intense hissing is produced as inhaling and exhaling of air passes by a cartilaginous membrane flap or preglottal keel jutting upward at the front of the glottis, an opening at the floor of the mouth below the base of the tongue. Furthermore, as the pivoting head follows the movements of the intruder, the tail rapidly vibrates with a determination to intimidate an intruder. All of these instinctive behaviors and tools working in conjunction with one another become part of a bluffing strategy and effective mechanism to fool any menacing preditor into believing its potential prey is an irrascible creature or a scaly devil far too dangerous to manage. If that isn't enough, repeated strikes towards the intruder should hasten a decision for it to retreat and search out other prey. This allows the magnificent ophidian to finally pacify, and slowly slither away, and having again, survived, to live another day.

Photo by Patrick Houston Briggs (Below is the pre-glottal keel or flap that amplifies the hissing sound coming from the airway)

Photo by Patrick Houston Briggs Courtesy Rick Smith (Below is a beautiful patternless morph of the Florida or Southern Pine Snake)

 Photo by Patrick Houston Briggs  (Below is a San Diego Gopher Snake race from near its northernmost range, San Luis Obispo County)

Below is Pituophis catenifer deserticola from Red Rock Canyon in the Mojave Desert

Photo by Patrick Houston Briggs Courtesy Chris Hooke

  1. Pituophis catenifer affinis                         (Hollowell, 1852)                Sonoran Gopher Snake

  2. Pituophis catenifer annectens                  (Baird & Girard, 1853)       San Diego Gopher Snake

  3. Pituophis catenifer catenifer                 (Blainville, 1835)              Pacific Gopher Snake

  4. Pituophis catinifer coronalis                   (Klauber, 1946)               Coronado Island Gopher Snake

  5. Pituophis catenifer deserticola              (Stejneger, 1893)            Great Basin Gopher Snake

  6. Pituophis catenifer fuliginatus               (Klauber, 1946)                San Martin Gopher Snake

  7. Pituophis catenifer pumilis                      (Klauber, 1946)               Channel Islands Gopher Snake

  8. Pituophis catenifer sayi                            (Schlegil, 1837)               Common Bull Snake

  9. Pituophis deppei deppei                           (Dumeril, 1853)               Mexican Pine Snake

10. Pituophis deppei jani                                (Cope, 1860)                    Northern Mexican Pine Snake

11. Pituophis insulanus                                   (Klauber, 1946)              Cedros Island Gopher Snake

12. Pituophis lineaticollis lineaticollis           (Cope, 1861)                   Cincuate Bull Snake 

13. Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni                   (Stuart, 1954)                Guatamalan Bull Snake

14. Pituophis melanoleucus lodingi               (Blanchard, 1924)         Black Pine Snake

15. Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus  (Daudin, 1803)              Northern Pine Snake 

16. Pituophis melanoleucus mugitus             (Barbour, 1921)            Florida Pine Snake  

17. Pituophis ruthveni                                       (Stull, 1929)                  Louisiana Pine Snake

18. Pituophis vertebralis                                   (Blainville, 1835)          Baja California Gopher Snake

      *(Bimaris Pattern Class or Mid- Baja California Gopher Snake)

      *(Vertebralis Pattern Class or Cape Gopher Snake)

             San Martin Island Gopher Snake                                                 Louisiana Pine Snake                                                   Guatamalan Bull Snake

http://www.freewebs.com/slitherbriggs/pcfuliginatus.htm http://www.freewebs.com/slitherbriggs/pruthveni.htm http://www.freewebs.com/slitherbriggs/plgibsoni.htm

           Coronado Island Gopher Snake                                         Channel Islands Gopher Snake                                                      Northern Mexican Pine Snake 

 http://www.freewebs.com/slitherbriggs/pccoronalis.htm http://www.freewebs.com/slitherbriggs/pcpumilis.htm http://www.freewebs.com/slitherbriggs/pdjani.htm

           Cedros Island Gopher Snake                                            Mexican Pine Snake                                                                 Mid-Baja California Gopher Snake     

 C 

http://www.freewebs.com/slitherbriggs/pinsulanus.htm http://www.freewebs.com/slitherbriggs/pddeppei.htm http://www.freewebs.com/slitherbriggs/pvbimarisvertebralis.htm

Photos above by Patrick Houston Briggs Courtesy J. Ginter and T. Moisi, SDSNH, & SBMNH

 If you have any current information, want to contribute great pituophis photos, or if you see some errors on any of the pages of this site, please

 Contact me: PATRICK BRIGGS @ 1slitherbriggs@comcast.net

 Ya que hablo, escribo, y leo espanol, en el futuro, tambien,  hare este sitio de Pituophis en espanol.

 This will be a progressive site for adding both imgages and information.

If you have great images or information, Send them to me. I may post it.