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Gopher Snake

Gopher Snake line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Gopher Snake illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The Gopher Snake drawing was completed on 11.22.2010. Snakes are always tough for me - mostly due to the scales as they relate to the shape of the body. Basically: get the scales wrong, the drawing will not work. This was a little different in that I didn't rely completely on stipple, and used more lines. This drawing is based on a photo by Kurt Geiger

Information about the Gopher Snake:

The Gopher Snake - which includes six subspecies of Pituophis catenifer - is a harmless reptile native to North America. They are related to pine and bull snakes. The name 'catenifer' is latin for "chain bearing" which refers to the pattern color of the dorsal. These are not overly large snakes, but can grow to about 36-84 inches (91–213 cm) in length. The Gopher Snake is one of the most widespread snakes in North America. The range of this reptile is from the Atlantic to Pacific oceans, north into southern Canada, and as far south as southern Mexico. They can also be found in Baja California. The habitats of the Gopher Snake is varied and includes prairies, forests and deserts. They also readily adapt to parks and farmland, as long as there is enough prey. Gopher snakes hunt small mammals, birds and eggs. They are very docile and are often kept as pets, however they can deliver a painful bite if mishandled.