The gopher, or bull snake as it is also known, is one of the most conspicuous and widespread snake species of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. Individuals exceeding seven feet in length have been found. The large size, and an impressive defensive display including coiling, striking, hissing and tail rattling, can make an unforgettable first encounter.
Gopher snakes are unique among desert snakes.
They make a loud and prolonged hiss when alarmed. The sound is produced by forcing air through the trachea, made unusually narrow because of the presence of a glottal keel, a structure unique to snakes of the genus Pituophis. To the uninitiated, the gopher snake s large-blotched pattern, inhaling of air to expand its body and habit of flattening the head during the defensive display suggest a rattlesnake. Should the snake be among dry leaves or grass the vibrating tail may even produce a noise that sounds like a rattle. Apparently many potential predators, and people, mistake gopher snakes for rattlesnakes and leave them alone.