Pituophis

Pituophis is a genus of nonvenomous snakes, family Colubridae, established by Holbrook in 1842, commonly called gopher snakes, pine snakes or bullsnakes, endemic to North America and found throughout Mexico, the southern and western United States and western Canada. Typically yellow or cream colored with dark spots and facial markings, some species exceed seven feet in length and can live up to 15 years; the genus is often mistaken for rattlesnakes owing to similar coloration and a defensive mimicry in which the snakes flatten their heads, hiss loudly and vibrate their tails rapidly to create a convincing rattlesnake imitation. The genus name derives from Ancient Greek combining words for pine and snake, reflecting the pine snake common name.