Sonoran Gopher Snake

The Sonoran Gopher snake

is found in extreme southeastern California, northeastern Baja California, all but a piece of northern Arizona, most of the western half of New Mexico, the tip of west Texas and Sonora and Chihuaha, Mexico. My brother, Chris, and I found one near Carey's Castle in the Eagle Mountains north of the Hayfield Road exit off the I-10. It had virtually all brown markings,

except for some light black outlining on some dorsal blotches.

One of the distinguishing features of the Sonoran gopher snake is that the dorsal blotches toward the front of the body are brown,

unconnected to other blotches. The blotches are connected on this one,

but in the Great Basin and San Diego gopher snakes I've seen, the upper blotches were black. Botches darken toward the rear.

A couple of more pictures. This gives a partial view of the belly.

A view of the side markings.