Striped gopher snake from today

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yoloherper
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Striped gopher snake from today

Post by yoloherper »

I haven't had the chance to get out yet this year yet, but this afternoon I was at my moms workplace and decided that with the sunny weather I would check a few pieces of urban AC that occasionally produce gophers. I got lucky and found 3 gophers under the first 3 pieces I lifted. The first 2 looked like they both could have been from the same clutch last year and the 3rd was a bit bigger. The 4th piece of AC made my day though when I lifted it and found this!
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I've never seen a striped phase from this exact spot so it was a great way to start the year!
-Elliot
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reptilist
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by reptilist »

Cool animal!
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Biker Dave
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by Biker Dave »

I've never seen one from any location! Good find!
Verhoodled
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by Verhoodled »

Incredible animal! Congrats! I never forget the aberrant ones I've found. It's Nature's way of saying "Keep up the good work!" :thumb:
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snakemastermyke
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by snakemastermyke »

Your area actually does produce these from time to time. I am curious to see if it is a genetic morph (dom, co/dom or recessive) or just a locality. A friend of mine found two like this in one year, and the year prior I found the same striped looking pattern on the same road. Regular ones do occur on that road as well, but the high number coming from that area really makes me wonder what is going on. I'll have to try and dig up some pics.
mikemike
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by mikemike »

Nice man. Here's a similar one found not to far from yours. I've found a few over the years, a buddy cruised a pair one night in my same area a couple years ago and another friend cruised one last year, I think on the same road I sent both of 'em to.

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hellihooks
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by hellihooks »

Whenever I drive through that general area, I try to do a little herping, just on the off chance of finding a striped gopher... they are SO COOL.
Maybe one day I'll luck out and see one... ;) thx for posting... GREAT find... :thumb: jim

BTW... the other guy who posts them, goes by Yolo Dave... :lol: :lol:
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socalherper
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by socalherper »

Very Nice ! That is a nice one. Some get a red phase to them also.
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yoloherper
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by yoloherper »

Thanks for the replies guys. I've seen a few different striped gophers at another location about 25 minutes away, but I was excited because this spot is just a short bike ride from my house!
And nice pic mike!
Here's one I think I posted a year or two ago from the other spot I've seen them at.
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Reptiluvr
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by Reptiluvr »

Very cool finds! Great photos of that juvenile.
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Mitchell Mulks
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by Mitchell Mulks »

Snakemastermyke,

The striped form of the pacific gophers is a dominantly inherited trait. Animals with only a single gene will be phenotypically stripe. Where they're locally abundant it appears that about 40% of the population is striped. The young ones always look amazing, but they tend to dull out as they mature. Either way, it's always a blast finding a striper!
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Scott Waters
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by Scott Waters »

Seems like I hear about a handful per year found in that area. Very cool pit!

scott
hellihooks
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by hellihooks »

Mitchell Mulks wrote:Snakemastermyke,

The striped form of the pacific gophers is a dominantly inherited trait. Animals with only a single gene will be phenotypically stripe. Where they're locally abundant it appears that about 40% of the population is striped. The young ones always look amazing, but they tend to dull out as they mature. Either way, it's always a blast finding a striper!

Do you know if striping is a dominantly inherited trait, in Ca Kingsnakes as well? I believe striping is selectively more adaptive than banding (predation confusing) and the striped version will eventually be predominant ... especially if a dominant trait. 8-) jim
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Dan Krull
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by Dan Krull »

I think the evidence points to the opposite, Jim. If a dominant trait is less common (In this case 40% vs 60% for the recessive) it would follow that the selective advantage lies with the banded/blotched morph. There are many common examples of this. The human hand, tail length in cats, etc.

What is interesting about this situation is that the recessive form is positively selected for but only slightly more so than the dominant form, so both phenotypes are preserved and represented in the populations rather than one being selected out of existence.

Of course... all of that is assuming a lot. Without a serious investigation into the population with vast samples and mathematical analyses, I can't be 100% sure to be right, but that certainly APPEARS to be what is happening. :)

Fun stuff.

Dan
hellihooks
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by hellihooks »

Dan Krull wrote:I think the evidence points to the opposite, Jim. If a dominant trait is less common (In this case 40% vs 60% for the recessive) it would follow that the selective advantage lies with the banded/blotched morph. There are many common examples of this. The human hand, tail length in cats, etc.

What is interesting about this situation is that the recessive form is positively selected for but only slightly more so than the dominant form, so both phenotypes are preserved and represented in the populations rather than one being selected out of existence.

Of course... all of that is assuming a lot. Without a serious investigation into the population with vast samples and mathematical analyses, I can't be 100% sure to be right, but that certainly APPEARS to be what is happening. :) Dan
My theory is that all kings were banded... a striped morph developed in the San Diego area, and has been spreading north and east, since.
If spreading noticeably over say, a few decades... dominant trait that's also selectively adaptive? If striped pops are stable (not spreading) Dominant & not adaptive or Recessive & adaptive. If Recessive and not adaptive...we wouldn't be talking bout them, cause they wouldn't exist... :roll: :lol: :lol: jim
Predatory responses to banded vs stripes has always piqued my interest... :D jim
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Scott Waters
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by Scott Waters »

Then how do we explain mohawks in humans? Nothing dominant about it, and has never really spread like I think some had hoped. :)

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hellihooks
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by hellihooks »

Scott Waters wrote:Then how do we explain mohawks in humans? Nothing dominant about it, and has never really spread like I think some had hoped. :)

scott
When graphing titillation scores... impart a skew for a more realistic distribution. (get it?....TITTIES... :lol: :lol: :lol: )
Zach_Lim
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by Zach_Lim »

Excellent find!

Striped Gophers are unreal!
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Harold of the Rocks
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by Harold of the Rocks »

Stripers are always a great site to see, nice find.
From my novice experience i would consider them Co-dominate. Several years ago i found a really clean striped Napa Co. female and paired her to a locality match normal patterned male, she produced 4 eggs. Those eggs consisted of 1 normal patterned, 2 mottled patterned and 1 with super clean stripes. I have pics of the hatchlings but still haven't signed up for a photo host download pic thing and figured out how to get with this program?
Last fall i found 2 DOR's in Napa Co. they are NAFHA records 127472 and 127471
Congratulations on finding the best snake in all of Yolo Co. IMO
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yolodave
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by yolodave »

A selection of Striped Gopher Snakes from Yolo County. Great looking serpents.

Dave



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hellihooks
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by hellihooks »

Yoloherper and YoloDave... that makes me :) :lol: :lol: jim
millmoss
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Re: Striped gopher snake from today

Post by millmoss »

I'm bummed I didn't really get into herping until right before we left CA.

We looked and looked for these our last year in Davis, but just turned up Kings. We go back every year or two to visit. Maybe on one of those trips...
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