sonoran gopher snake
sonoran gopher snake Lexical Profile
• noun
North American A non-venomous subspecies of colubrid snake native to the Sonoran Desert and surrounding regions of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, characterized by a yellowish or tan body with dark brown or reddish blotches.
"While hiking in Arizona, we spotted a Sonoran gopher snake basking on a warm rock, momentarily mistaking it for a rattlesnake due to its defensive tail vibration."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often mistaken for the highly venomous Western diamondback rattlesnake because of its similar coloration and defensive behavior, which includes flattening its head, hissing loudly, and vibrating its tail in dry leaves to mimic a rattle.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Named for its native habitat in the Sonoran Desert region and its primary diet of small rodents, particularly pocket gophers.