The Sonoran gopher snake has stunning coloring, with patches of yellow and brown as well as stripes on its tail.
Its name comes from the Sonoran desert, which is its natural environment. However, it can be found all over the southwest of the country.
Sonoran gopher snakes are a common choice for a pet because they are plentiful in the wild and have a friendly disposition.
Overview of the Sonoran Gopher Snake
| Common name | Sonoran gopher snake |
| Scientific name | Pituophis catenifer affinis |
| Natural habitat | Southwestern United States Texas, Arizona, and northern Mexico are other locations. They prosper in arid, dry environments. |
| adult height | The typical adult Sonoran gopher snake is 4 to 6 feet long (121 to 183 cm). |
| Average lifespan | 15+ years |
| Diet | eggs, a few small rodents, and occasionally birds. |
| Housing | 4ft x 2ft x 2ft enclosure |
| Experience | Beginner and intermediate |
Origin
Mostly found in the United States is the Sonoran gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer affinis).
Along the southern rim of the Grand Canyon, they are particularly prevalent.
However, you can also locate them in northern Mexico, Texas, and Arizona.
They flourish in arid, desert-like settings. As a result, they frequently brood in the winter to avoid the cold.
Manifestation and conduct
The Sonoran gopher snake has noticeable dark brown bands on its tail as well as a pattern of yellow and brown patches.
They also have tiny markings on their flanks and an underside that is yellow.
Sonoran goptheirnakes may pass for rattlesnakes due to their hue and patterns.
The fact that they shake their tails when threatened makes this situation worse.
Although they are frequently killed by people in the wild, they are completely safe for people.
In general, males are typically smaller than females. They are fairly hety and frequently referred to as heavy-bodied.
Size and Duration
Most people reach an adult height of between 4 and 6 feet. Rarely, they may even reach heights of 7 feet.
When they hatch, they canlongo a height of up to a foot.
If you follow these care instructions, your snake 12–15lyears oldor 12 to 15 years in captivity.
Your snake will live a long and fulfilling life if you take good care of it.
The Sonoran gopher snake, which was the oldest known captive specimen, lived for 33 years.
Therefore, make sure you are prepared for a long-term commitment before picking one of these up as a pet.
Temperament
These snakes are generally not aggressive and, with careful handling, can make good pets.
They are frequently defensive at first, but with the right care, this characteristic usually fades.
They are capable of hissing and rattling their tails when they feel threatened. Adults are less likely to bite you, though, if you treat them properly.
When handled properly, juveniles will likelbut theyutgrow their tendency to nip since they are more feisty than adults.
Despite their friendly disposition, it is not advisable to keep these snakes togeher unless you plan to breed them.
Although they are not hostile, they can be a little bit territorial.
They are intelligent and incredibly curious. It’s crucial to provide them with cerebral exercise, such as a climbable object.
They need big enclosures because they are active snakes.
A Sonoraa Gopher Snake’s Home
Sonoran gopher snakes are thought to be extremely adaptable because they can thrive in a range of settings in the wild.
This correlates to their needs while held captive.
They adapt nicely to a range of habitats, including rack systems, vivariums, and reptile terrariums.
Your personal preference and consideration of the particular needs of your snake will determine how you should house your Sonoran gopher snake.
Case dimensions
As it develops, your snake’s demands will change. As a result, before putting their young snakes in a real terrarium, people frequently start them out in a glass aquarium tank of about 10 gallons.
Sonoran gopher snake adults require a minimum 40-gallon tak with dimensions of ffeet byetyfeet by2 feetet by 2 feet.
Although this is the very minimum, going bigger is preferable if you can.
More room will always be appreciated by your Sonoran gopher snake, and for these snakes, floor area is more crucial than height.
Because these snakes are expert artists,artists, it’s crucial to ensure that the top of the cage is tight, ideally fastened.
Lighting
You should strive to emulate natural light as closely as you can, as Sonoran gopher snakes require light for at least 12 hours every day.
Although they don’t need specialized lighting, UVB lights are good for their general health.
This is so that it more closely resembles the sun’s natural light.
Itecause they will want to inspect it, it is crucial to make sure that their light is either shielded or located outside of the enclosure.
To replicate the outside world at night, you should turn out the lights.
To enable your snake to maintain its body temperature, there should be both full and partial shelter from the lighting.
Heat Index and Humidity
It’s crucial to give your Sonoran gopher snake a home in both warm and cool locations.
Snakes, which have chilly blood, depend on outside factors to control their body temperature.
Therefore, you must give your snake a colder section with hides on both sides to help it regulate its body temperature.
To help you keep an eye on the temperature, it is fairly simple to acquire a thermometer made specifically to function in a snake’s enclosure.
The enclosure’s warm side, where the lighting will be installed, needs to be kept at 85–88, while the cool side needs to 75–80°F.
You should reduce the temperature at night to roughly 72°F.
Sonoran gopher snakes require between 50 and 60% relative hum50–60 which a hygrometer can measure.
You should raise the humidity while snakes are shedding. You can accomplish this by misting the enclosure a few times each day.
The scales get dull and the eyes become clouded as they are ready to shed.
When shedding, they also frequently reject food, but this is not a problem. Make sure the sphagnum moss in your cool hide box is wet.
The Basis and Decoration
These snakes can endure a wide range of materials for the substrate of their habitat.
Something with loose particles, like beech wood chips, can be a nice option because they frequently burrow.
This is advantageous since it lowers humidity.
Orchid bark and aspen wood chips are further choices. Because they are harmful to snakes, cedar or pine chip shavings must be avoided.
Avoid abrasive materials like gravel and stones as well.
To allow for potential burrowing, thestrate should be at least 3 inches deep.
There are various useful items to incorporate when decorating.
Two hides are included, one at each eend, giving the snake a cool and warm place to hide.
A large basking stone under or close to the lighting is another excellent option. Other nice ideas include a branch to climb for cerebral activity, tubes to slither through, plants for partial shelter, and plants.
Just watch out for the stone getting too heated.
Cleaning
Your Sonoran gopher snake must have a tidy and secure enclosure.
To keep the enclosure hygienic, you should frequently spot-clean the areas where your snake has used the restroom.
To avoid slime and bacterial accumulation, keep the water bowl clean. Once a week, give it a good cleaning.
You should perform a thorough cleaning of the entire enclosure at least once a month in addition to this continuing maintenance.
You should carefully clean the enclosure during this operation.
Using common household chemicals in your snake’s habitat can be harmful.
Use cleaning supplies made especially for caring for snakes or a vinegar-water solution.
Since it will only be in the tub for a short time, you can carefully set your snake in any tub that is the right size and has air holes while you clean.
Care for Sonoran Gopher Snakes
These snakes are a breed that is suitable for beginners because their maintenance is relatively easy and basic.
They may, however, be most suitable for people with intermediate experience because of their size.
Other than simple feeding and cleaning, they don’t require any special care.
They normally have a nice temperament and are not prone to severe health issues.
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Water and food
Sonoran gopher snakes must eat rodents that are no larger than the snake’s width at its widest point in order to survive.
Juveniles can be introduced to smaller rats, and you should feed them once a week.
Feed giant rodents every two weeks, or a medium rat once a week, to adult snakes. Avoid live food and opt for frozen rats instead.
Use tweezers to feed them, allowing them to strike as you do so. Without worrying, you can feed them inside their enclosure.
For a few hours prior to feeding and for 48 to 72 hours following, avoid handling them.
Prior to feeding, you should try to keep them calm. Handling them after a meal might interfere with digestion and potentially cause the snake to regurgitate its meal.
To reduce humidity on the heated side, the water bowl should be put on the cold side and should be large enough to soak.
Additionally, it needs to be heavy enough to prevent them from toppling it.
It is essential to have access to clean, fresh water, and you should preferably change the water every day.
Handling
When you first obtain your pet, they will initially be wary of being handled.
This is not a cause for alarm because you need to give them some time to adjust to their new surroundings.
You can start handling them if they look more at ease in their enclosure.
When holding them, be sure to always bear their entire body weight.
If you touch its head before you’ve established a relationship with your snake and it has learned to trust you, it could become agitated and shake erratically.
Over time, you will develop a bond with your snake, and the majority of Sonoran gopher snakes are highly social and like being handled.
They make wonderful pets due to their temperament.
Typical health problems
These snakes are tough and not prone to any particular illnesses.
The important thing to look out for is an unwillingness to eat, which may indicate illness.
You shouldn’t be alarmed if your snake appears healthy, has shining scales, and is fully developed.
Take your pet to the veterinarian if this persists, though.
Blister illness, which manifests as lumps and blisters under the scales, is another condition that can happen to any snake.
This occurs when the enclosure is very damp, so keep a close eye on the humidity in your habitat.
Conversely, keep an eye out for dehydration. Your snake’s habitat may be too hot if it spends the majority of its time in its water dish.
Brumation
Snakes mate in the wild during the colder months.
It is acceptable if you decide not to kill your kept snake and stick to your usual heating and lighting schedule.
You should brumate if you intend to reproduce. For three weeks in the middle of the fall, cease feeding your snake to achieve this.
Lower the temperature to about 55°F during baking.
You should not feed your snake for the first two to four months of breeding.
But make sure you continue to provide fresh, clean water.
Increase the temperature and light levels to normal levels in the spring, and then feed your snake a lot to make up for the time it spent in brumation.
Breeding
You must allow snakes to mate when breeding them.
They will naturally breed; you don’t need to do anything special to encourage them to do so.
Immediately following the first post-brumation shed, introduce the male to the female.
Males mature at 1.5 years old, whereas females do so at age 3. They can still reproduce well into their teens, though.
Although they can produce clutches of up to 24 eggs, Sonoran gopher snakes typically produce much larger numbers of eggs.
Gestation lasts 65 to 75 days once the woman is pregnant.
To prevent the eggs from being laid in the water, you must include a nesting box and a smaller water bowl in the enclosure.
The eggs should be taken out of the enclosure once they have been laid and kept in an incubator at 84°F and 75 to 85% humidity.
Purchasing a Sonoran Gopher Snake: A Guide
They can make fantastic pets if you’re willing to learn about taking care of one of these amazing snakes.
It is essential to buy a Sonoran gopher snake from a trustworthy breeder.
The conditions in which a breeder keeps their animals and how well-informed they are regarding the particular species’ care requirements are two things to watch out for.
When it comes to price, a youngster with typical markings will run you about $150.
Adult snakes can cost up to $250, and there is an additional premium of up to $750 for snakes with distinctive markings.
