Bull Snake

The genus name Pituophis is a Latinized modern scientific Greek compound Πιτυόφις : "pine snake"; from (pítus, "pine"), and (óphis, "snake").

Species and subspecies within the genus Pituophis are found throughout Mexico, the Southern and Western United States and Western Canada.

In all snakes of the genus Pituophis, the epiglottis is peculiarly modified so that it is thin, erect and flexible. When a stream of air is forced from the trachea, the epiglottis vibrates, thereby producing the peculiarly loud, hoarse hissing for which bullsnakes, gopher snakes, and pine snakes are well known.

{| class="wikitable" |- ! Image !! Scientific name !! Common name !!Subspecies !!Distribution |- | || Pituophis catenifer ||gopher snake || *P. c. affinis – Sonoran gopher snake *P. c. annectens – San Diego gopher snake *P. c. bimaris – central Baja California gopher snake *P. c. catenifer – Pacific gopher snake *P. c. coronalis – Coronado Island gopher snake *P. c. deserticola – Great Basin gopher snake *P. c. fulginatus – San Martin Island gopher snake *P. c. pumilis – Santa Cruz Island gopher snake *P. c. sayi – bullsnake ||North America |- | || Pituophis deppei ||Mexican bullsnake || *P. d. deppei – southern Mexican pine snake *P. d. jani – northern Mexican pine snake ||central, Mexico |- ||| Pituophis insulanus || Cedros Island gopher snake ||||Isla de Cedros, Mexico |- | || Pituophis lineaticollis ||Middle American gopher snake || *P. l. gibsoni *P. l. lineaticollis || From Mexico city, south through Mexico and to Guatemala |- | || Pituophis melanoleucus ||pine snake || *P. m. lodingi – black pine snake *P. m. melanoleucus – northern pine snake *P. m. mugitus – Florida pine snake ||southeastern United States |- | || Pituophis ruthveni || Louisiana pine snake|||| west-central Louisiana and East Texas |- | || Pituophis vertebralis || Cape gopher snake|||| southern Baja California Sur, Mexico. |- |}