gopher snake
Americannoun
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a bullsnake, Pituophis melanoleucus, of western North America, that invades burrows to prey on rodents.
Etymology
Origin of gopher snake
An Americanism dating back to 1830–40
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He expects many animals, like the gopher snake, made it through the fire by hunkering down in the cracks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
Dr. Ditmars fed him a six-foot gopher snake, turned a hose on his conqueror.
From Time Magazine Archive
The gopher snake was harmless; perhaps, if I could get him so close to it that he would see it wriggle away from under his feet, he might be less indifferent to rattlers.
From A-Birding on a Bronco by Florence A. Merriam
A long, spotted gopher snake slipped through the dead grass on the ground beneath.
From The Strength of the Pines by Edison Marshall
But are they wise, and retiring, like the house-haunting gopher snake of the South?
From The Minds and Manners of Wild Animals A Book of Personal Observations by William Temple Hornaday
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
