Cape Gopher Snake
Pituophis vertebralis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyColubridae (Colúbrids)
- GenusPituophis (Pine, Gopher, and Bullsnakes)
- SpeciesPituophis vertebralis (Cape Gopher Snake)
The Cape gopher snake or Baja gopher snake (Pituophis vertebralis) is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake endemic to extreme southern Baja California Sur, Mexico. They have become increasingly popular companions for people interested in the exotic pet trade, due to their extreme color variations and relatively docile behavior. It was previously considered to be a subspecies of Pituophis catenifer. There has been controversy whether the Baja Gopher Snake is a lower classification of the Cape Gopher Snake. Some say the Baja Gopher Snake should be in a separate sub-species of Pituophis Vertebralis Bimaris, while Cape Gopher Snakes should remain Pituophis Vertebralis Vertebralis. Many people mistake the two as the same sub species and have cased some cross-breeding between the two. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Gopher Snake sighting in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, based on 11 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve
Baja California Coachwhip
Masticophis fuliginosus
Western Patch-nosed Snake
Salvadora hexalepis
Banded Sand Snake
Sonora cincta
Coast Night Snake
Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus
Baja California Night Snake
Hypsiglena slevini
California King Snake
Lampropeltis californiae
Peninsular Glossy Snake
Arizona pacata
Baja California Lyre Snake
Trimorphodon lyrophanes
Baja California Ratsnake
Bogertophis rosaliae
Western Black-headed Snake
Tantilla planiceps
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Cape Gopher Snake in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve?
About 16% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Gopher Snake sighting in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, based on 11 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Cape Gopher Snake in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve?
November has the highest sighting rate for Cape Gopher Snake in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve in our monthly data.