Middle American Gopher Snake

Middle American Gopher Snake

Pituophis lineaticollis

Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

5 Verified sightings at Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca From 2019 to 2026
5 In 1 park
March Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Middle American Gopher Snake

Pituophis lineaticollis, commonly known as the Middle American gopher snake or the cincuate bull snake, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to Guatemala and southeastern Mexico. There are two recognized subspecies.

P. lineaticollis is found in Guatemala and in the Mexican states of Chiapas, Guerrero, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacán, Morelos, Oaxaca, and Querétaro. The preferred natural habitat of P. lineaticollis is forest, at altitudes of 800–2,500 m (2,600–8,200 ft).

The longest specimen of P. lineaticollis measured by Boulenger in 1894 had a total length of 1.5 m (4.9 ft), which included a tail 23 cm (9.1 in) long. P. lineaticollis is oviparous. Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.

Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni Stuart, 1954 Pituophis lineaticollis lineaticollis (Cope, 1861) The genus name Pituophis is a Latinized modern scientific Greek compound Πιτυόφις : "pine snake"; from Ancient Greek: πίτυς (pítus, "pine"), and Ancient Greek: ὄφις (óphis, "snake").

The subspecific name, gibsoni... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
~30%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Middle American Gopher Snake in Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Middle American Gopher Snake sighting in Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 6 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Middle American Gopher Snake in Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca?

March, May and December

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Middle American Gopher Snake in Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca on a given day, against under 5% in June and August, the lowest months. Those are among Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca's driest months, with about 50 mm of rain a month against 270 mm in July.

What time of day is best to see a Middle American Gopher Snake?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Middle American Gopher Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Where else can you see a Middle American Gopher Snake?

Only Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca, in our data

Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Middle American Gopher Snake sightings: about 30% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.

Which relatives of the Middle American Gopher Snake live in Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca?

Same family: Colubridae

The closest relatives of the Middle American Gopher Snake that you can see in Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Mexican Brown Snake (about 40%) and Mexican Highlands Gartersnake (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Middle American Gopher Snake sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Middle American Gopher Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca (5 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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