Cape Gopher Snakes

Often referred to by the Latin name, vertebralis, the Cape Gopher snake is a colorful and relatively calm member of the genus Pituophis. Found at high elevation on the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsuala, this species is not common in collections. It is by far my favorite of all the Gopher, Pine, and Bull snakes. I bred this species in the 1990’s and my son had one of my offspring in his science classroom for over fifteen years.

One of two 2024 female vertebralis hatchlings I was fortunate enough to acquire. The dark blotches on the rear of these snakes is a very interesting color change. This becomes more pronounced as the animals mature.

The rich orange and maroon colors make the Cape gopher one of the most attractive members of this family of snakes.

About This Project

As mentioned above, I had a breeding pair of these fine snakes in the 1990’s. I’ve been on the lookout for available stock and was very gratified to obtain a pair of females from my friend Matt Turner in the fall of 2024. Because Matt hatched only one male, I’m waiting until his 2025 animals hatch to get a male to make it a trio. I am super happy to be working with these beautiful gopher snakes once again. Although the adults are generally pretty docile, the babies are typical Pituophis, hissing and striking at any movement. This makes them challenging to photograph! I’ll update this page as they grow and I’m able to get some more pics.