176 BULLETIN 17 5, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Ruthven and Gaige (1915, p. 31) give the following note: 



It was found in the Chrysothamnus zone along the streams, in the sagebrush 

 on the hills and flats on the basin floor, and on the slopes and rock sUdes and in 

 the canyons of all of the mountains (except the Pinyon Range) to the summit of 

 the Carlin Peaks. It is apparently common everywhere, and we could not 

 discover any habitat preference. A large female taken on July 30 contains 

 large eggs. The specimens examined had aU eaten small mammals, and to 

 judge by the extent to which the alimentary duct was filled with remains the 

 number consumed must be enormous. 



Dice (1916, pp. 303, 307, 308, 310) includes this form (under the 

 name c. catenifer) in lists of species from the following regions in 

 southeastern Washington: The wiUow habitat and association of the 

 Columbia Basin sagebrush faunal area; the bunchgrass, the rocky 

 slope, and the cottonwood-willow habitats and associations of the 

 Prairie area. 



Grinnell and Camp (1917, p. 194) say that deserticola "occupies the 

 Lower and Upper Sonoran Life zone" and "inhabits nearly aU types 

 of arid environment." 



Klauber (1931, pp. 77-81) found specimens both in the desert and 

 in cultivated fields in the Imperial Valley. He lists this form as 

 crepuscular (1931, p. 18) and reports (1931, p. 70) finding a specimen 

 "crossing the road just before seven P. M., it being quite dark at 

 the time." The same author reports (1932b, p. 125) collecting speci- 

 mens in "sparse brush," "desert," "rocks," "brush, sand," "light 

 brush," "sparse brush and rocks," and "rocky desert, light brush." 

 One of these was found (1932b, p. 126) "crossing the highway at 

 8:30 on a cold, windy night." 



Mosauer (1935, p. 20), in a study of desert reptUes, says of deserticola: 



Several specimens, dead and alive, were found on the highway quite close to 

 the dune region; others were found under boards of the ruins of homesteads in 

 the sand hiUs and at the margin of a date palm plantation in the neighborhood 

 of the dunes. No specimens were collected in the dunes proper. The gopher 

 snake seems to be largely nocturnal or crepuscular, to conclude from the number 

 of specimens found on the road at night. 



Pack (1919, p. 16) gives an account of a 5-foot specimen of this 

 form that contained 35 small mice. It was killed in an alfalfa field 

 at haying time. 



Van Denburgh and Slevin (1921a, p. 37) report finding an example 

 "on a shelf in a kitchen closet." 



Nelson (1922, p. 126) lists deserticola from the Lower Sonoran Zone 

 of Lower California. 



The following note is given by Woodbury (1928, p. 20): "One 

 medium-sized snake three and one-half to four feet in length had 

 nine mice in its stomach. ... I have seen these snakes eat both 

 mice and gophers in captivity. They are constrictors and kill their 

 prey before eating it." 



