Gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer)

Short answers

Gopher snake: How big does the enclosure need to be?

From 250×125×190 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, bullsnakes and pine snakes).

Gopher snake: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 24–29 °C, basking spot 32 °C, at night 18–20 °C.

Gopher snake: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB not essential, weak UVB (Ferguson zone 1–2) recommended.

Gopher snake: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 15–20 years (record ~33).

Gopher snake: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

24–29 °C

Night temperature

18–20 °C

Basking spot

32 °C

Humidity

50–70 %

UVB

UVB not essential, weak UVB (Ferguson zone 1–2) recommended

Enclosure

Minimum size

from 250×125×190 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, bullsnakes and pine snakes)

Substrate

Terrarium humus, pine bark, beech or aspen shavings; room to dig; a water dish

Feeding

Food

Frozen mice or rats of a suitable size

Feeding interval

adults every 7–14 days, juveniles weekly

Key facts

Adult size

120–180 cm (the subspecies sayi up to ~250 cm)

Life expectancy

15–20 years (record ~33)

Origin

Western North America (USA and Mexico)

Protection status

Not listed under CITES

Brumation

A winter rest is possible but not essential; about 8–12 weeks at ~8–12 °C (recommended for breeding); stop feeding from the beginning of November

Cohabitation

Keep them singly – a territorial colubrid; put them together only briefly for supervised breeding, and never keep males together

Notes

A robust, good-feeding gopher snake; a very keen feeder – avoid obesity through overfeeding. It needs digging substrate and structure (hides, roots).

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Baja California gopher snake (Pituophis vertebralis) – Intermediate
• Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi) – Beginner
• Pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus) – Intermediate
• Louisiana pine snake (Pituophis ruthveni) – Intermediate
• Mexican pine snake (Pituophis deppei) – Intermediate
• Middle American gopher snake (Pituophis lineaticollis) – Intermediate
• Northern pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus) – Intermediate
• Black pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus lodingi) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (from 250×125×190 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, bullsnakes and pine snakes)), substrate (Terrarium humus, pine bark, beech or aspen shavings; room to dig; a water dish), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.