![]() ![]() The Santa Cruz Island gopher snake is the only dwarf form of the species, even though three other subspecies also occur on islands ( P. ![]() By contrast, the Pacific gopher snake, its mainland cousin, can reach 7 feet in length. The Santa Cruz Island gopher snake, Pituophis catenifer pumilus ( pumilio is Latin for "dwarf"), is just as its Latin translation indicates, a dwarf race rarely exceeding 3 feet in length. Due to the more limited fauna of the islands, Santa Cruz Island gopher snake has a less varied diet than other subspecies of gopher snakes.A powerful constrictor the gopher snake kills prey by suffocating them in body coils or by pressing the animal against the walls of their underground burrows.When threatened, the species will elevate and inflate its body, flatten its head into a triangular shape, hiss loudly, and quickly shake its tail back and forth to make a buzzing sound which may be a mimic of a rattlesnake rattle.The Santa Cruz Island gopher snake is one of many endemic species in the national park. ![]() Its somewhat threatening behavior, mimicking the rattlesnake, will sometimes get individuals of the species killed unnecessarily. The species is related to king snakes and rat snake, and is harmless to humans. Contrary to earlier reports of only existing on that island, it is also found on Santa Rosa Island. The Santa Cruz Island gopher snake is a dwarf endemic species rarely exceeding three feet in length. ![]()
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