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Gopher Snake
Colouration.—Entire upper and under surfaces (with the exception of the chin and sides of head) lustrous black, or blue-black. The chin, throat and upper lip plates are reddish-brown.
Dimensions.—With the exception of the Western species of Pituophis--the Bull Snakes and several of the Colubers, this snake attains the greatest length of any of the North American serpents.
Distribution.—The Gopher Snake or Indigo Snake is a variety of a large serpent inhabiting tropical South America and Central America. The typical form is pale brown or olive, sometimes dark on the forward portion of the body and becoming bright yellow on the posterior half. It is popularly termed the "Cribo" or the "Rat Snake." A darker variety occurs in northern Central America and Mexico.
As this species attains a length of over eight feet, it must be rated as one of the largest of the North American serpents. The body is moderately stout and the entire scalation is as polished as glass; the high polish of the scales imparts, when the reptile is in a strong light, a blue-black hue--hence the popular name of Indigo Snake. Specimens that have recently cast their skins show all the prismatic colours on the plates of the abdomen, which present a surface like burnished metal.
Following are the measurements of a fair-sized specimen, from Seven Oaks, Florida:
Total Length . . . . . 6 feet, 11 inches.
Length of Tail . . . . . 13 inches.
Greatest Diameter . . . . . 2 inches.
Width of Head . . . . . 1 5/8 inches.
Length of Head . . . . . 2 1/2 inches.
The largest specimen examined by the writer was measured as follows:
Total Length . . . . . 7 ft. 9 inches.
Length of Tail . . . . . 13 1/2 inches.
Greatest Diameter . . . . . 2 1/4 inches.
Width of Head . . . . . 1 3/4 inches.
Length of Head . . . . . 3 inches.
The black form (the Indigo Snake) inhabits the Gulf States of North America, occurring in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, thence westward to the Rio Grande in eastern Texas and into Mexico. Texas specimens have a tendency to show traces of brown upon the tips of the scales, thus appealing to the Mexican variety. Specimens from the extreme eastern portions of the United States--Georgia and Florida--are always uniform black, with the exception of traces of red upon the sides of the head and on the throat.
North American "Black Snakes": From this description it will be noted that the Gopher Snake might appropriately be called a "blacksnake," which is often the case in portions of the reptile's range--but this confuses it with a commoner reptile--the blacksnake, or racer, a species widely distributed and well known under the title. The latter reptile extends its range well into that of the Gopher Snake and its colouration is very similar. A few words will clear this situation.
The Gopher Snake (Spilotes), is highly polished--glassy--in appearance. The Blacksnake (Zamenis constrictor) exhibits a satiny lustre, like the surface of a gun-barrel. The chin and throat of the former species are reddish; the chin and throat of the latter are milky-white.
Another North American blacksnake is the Pilot Blacksnake, or Black Chicken Snake (Coluber obsoletus). Close examination will show this species to have weakly keeled scales, a character at once distinguishing it from the former reptiles as both have smooth scales.
Habits of the Gopher Snake
Few of the North American serpents are more attractive than the present species. Its smooth, glittering length of blue-black body, flashing with all the prismatic colours along the broad plates of the undersurface, and its good-natured demeanour, combine to make it a favourite in collections.
The Indigo Snake is found in the sandy portions of the southeastern United States and often glides for the burrows of the gopher tortoise when danger threatens--hence one of its popular names--the Gopher Snake. The spectacle of one of these big serpents, trailing its black length over a stretch of light sand is one to arouse the enthusiasm of the naturalist. Powerful and agile, though considerably less active in flight than such ophidians as the blacksnake and the coachwhip snake, it shows little of the viciousness of these creatures. A freshly captured specimen will often submit to handling with a perfect show of good nature, but when surprised in its native haunts, and escape be cut off, the Indigo Snake assumes a position quite unique among serpents. Flattening the head, it compresses the neck for some inches, so that the latter is flattened vertically. It then arches the neck slightly, and in this eccentric attitude will strike at the object of its anger. At such times the snake rapidly vibrates the tail. But these exhibitions of bad temper are generally short and spasmodic, and the reptile becomes very tame in captivity, feeding readily from the hand. Contrary to the strength indicated in the stout, though graceful body, the Indigo Snake is not a constrictor, but feeds in the same fashion as the blacksnake, namely, by holding the prey to the ground under a portion of the body and engulfing the animal at the same time.