724 13. COLUBRIDA 
nomic value. This appeals to many people who would 
never admit the inhumanity of killing a snake. 
“This snake, sometimes called ‘bull snake,’ especially by 
people who have just come from the East, is not in the least 
poisonous, tho we have known large examples to inflict suf- 
ficiently effective bites to draw blood. 
“This snake grows to large size; the largest specimens 
which we have ourselves measured were 52, 58, and 62 
inches long, respectively. Larger ones are often reported. 
“The gopher snake has the curious habit of vibrating its 
tail rapidly when excited, and if it happens to be among 
dry leaves or weed stems the sound is not unlike the whir 
of the rattlesnake. 
“The gopher snake hides away during the winter months 
in rock piles, and possibly in holes in the ground. We know 
nothing of its breeding places or habits.” (Grinnell and 
Grinnell.) 
Mr. Paul Ruthling notes: “One 64-inch Pacific Bull 
Snake that was brought to me was handled too much. A 
slight touch of mal de mer resulted in his vomiting four 
full-grown gophers, none of which was more than slightly 
digested. On another occasion more than a dozen mice had 
the misfortune to run foul of a mouse trap I had set for 
living mice. These same mice had the additional misfor- 
tune all to find their way into the stomach of a good-sized 
hungry Pacific Bul! Snake. 
“Taking it all in all, the good done by the Pacific Bull 
Snake has already earned him the protection of many 
ranchers and far outweights any harmful depredations his 
lack of discretion may at times mislead him to make.” 
