On my last visit to the Mojave Desert, I found several examples of this fine serpent. It resides in a wide range of habitats: dry sandy areas, pine woodlands, plains, abandoned fields, deserts, grasslands and mountain scrub.
Like other Gopher Snakes, it is straw or pale brown colored with a row of large square blotches, reddish brown and black on the back and similar smaller blotches on the sides. The head is quite pointed, an adaptation for burrowing.
A unique feature that Gopher, Pine and Bull Snakes have is a filament of cartilaginous flesh in the mouth is situated immediately in front of the breathing passage. When the snake is angry and the mouth is partially opened, the filament is raised and breath is violently expelled against it – creating a very loud hissing noise.
As the name implies, this constrictor eats gophers and other rodents. It is mainly active in the daytime in Spring and Fall, though in the heat of Summer it changes its activity pattern to become nocturnal during the intense desert heat.
The individuals I have come across are usually 3-4 feet, but this snake can get over 6 feet in length. It is a harmless snakes and actually quite beneficial to man, due to the large number of rodents it consumes.