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gopher snake

American  

noun

  1. a bullsnake, Pituophis melanoleucus, of western North America, that invades burrows to prey on rodents.

  2. indigo snake.


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.

See Examples For:

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

That gopher snake just passed on the trail, with a young rabbit half swallowed, illustrates near enough how one-half of the world is trying to swallow the other.

From A Breeze from the Woods, 2nd Ed. by Bartlett, William Chauncey

Going home one day, Billy came upon a gopher snake.

From A-Birding on a Bronco by Merriam, Florence A.

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 Hornaday, William Temple

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