Gopher Snake Facts

Gopher snakes contract their muscles as they slither along the substrate. Since they are non-venomous snakes, they constrict and suffocate their prey when hunting. They mainly feed off of small rodents and birds, and because of their muscular bodies they can even climb trees to snatch prey, or burrow underground. Their scientific name is catenifer, which means “chain bearing” in Latin, referring to the splotched pattern on their backs. Their common name is gopher snake because gophers and ground squirrels are a main source of prey for them.