Comments on: Rattlesnake vs. Gopher Snake: Can you & your kids tell the difference?

By: David

David — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:46:58 +0000

Very nice article. I operate a snake removal service in the here in the Bay Area and would say roughly one half of my “rattlesnake calls” are in fact gopher snakes. Most of the time property owners are ok with leaving gopher snakes there after learning of the benefits they offer.

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By: Kevin

Kevin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:21:51 +0000

Gary, left for work today & a few steps outside of my door was an 8″ snake that looked like a rattler. I didn’t check for a rattle because it started moving sideways with its head elevated a few inches off the ground (like a cobra) with its mouth wide open as it was moving. Obviously it was a baby & I frightened it as much as it did me. I went for a shoe on the porch but turned back & it was gone into the shrubs. Didn’t pay attention to the shape of its eyes. Do bullsnakes raise their head with mouths open in defense?

By: komron

komron — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 09:38:16 +0000

ATTENTION, PLEASE!
You will not believe but its true!
There will be sold the natural snake crown!
This was considered as the symbol of power and wisdom to our ancesstors.
In details, only for those who are interested!

By: Gary Bogue

Gary Bogue — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:19:58 +0000

Karol Gallucci: Baby rattlesnakes still have a rattle. The rattle is smaller, just a single button on very young rattlesnakes. Gopher snakes have NO rattles and their tails come down to a sharp point. You can go online to http://www.google.com and do a search for baby rattlesnakes and another search for baby gopher snakes. You’ll find photos and can get a good look at what they look like./Gary

By: Gary Bogue

Gary Bogue — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:05:09 +0000

Jan Crown: the Claycord.com Web site has already changed the labeling on that photo to reflect that is is indeed a gopher snake and NOT a rattlesnake. Yes, it is a beautiful gopher snake. /Gary

By: Jan Crown

Jan Crown — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:52:35 +0000

Dear Gary, there is a post on Claycord.com that has raised some questions:

http://claycord.blogspot.com/2009/10/rattle-snake-black-diamond-mines.html

The snake in question has been labelled a rattlesnake. I think it’s a gopher snake. What say you? Could you post your answer on Claycord for all of us to see and learn?

Thanks so much

By: Karol Gallucci

Karol Gallucci — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:52:56 +0000

I live in the South Bay, but just encountered a baby snake this weekend in my steel building in Red Bluff, an area known for rattlesnakes. This is my first encounter, and although I was shaking in my boots, I took the time to look at it (from a distance). I’ve never seen a rattler, let alone a baby, but this snake seemed skinny (body and head) and the markings just didn’t look quite the same. He did rear his head immediately and curled up, but was just as happy to go off in another direction when he got over being scared of me. I didn’t kill him, but now I’m worried since he may still be in the building. I opened all the doors hoping he’d go out. How do I tell the difference beteen the snakes when they are babies? (We’re going up again soon so I may encounter him again). Thanks.

By: Gary Bogue

Gary Bogue — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:10:29 +0000

John: Snakes will often lie on the pavement at night because the road surface retains some of the heat from the sun. Gopher snakes will buzz their tails like rattlesnakes and act aggressive when they feel threatened, imitating rattlesnakes to try and fool you into leaving them alone. Rattlesnakes, by the way, do not hiss like that. /Gary

By: John Marshall

John Marshall — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:57:23 +0000

I often encounter Gopher snakes while walking around NASA Ames’ marshland area in Mountain View. They are readily identified by both their slender shape and placid mood. I usually lift them off the road to prevent them being run over. Two days ago, I found one lying in the road in the dark (never seen this before), and it was uncharacteristically aggressive –striking instantly. It also hissed loudly and made a rattling sound, identical to a rattle snake. But the sound appeared to emanate from its throat, not its tail –and there was no rattle. This may additionally lead people to misidentify this species.

By: Gary Bogue

Gary Bogue — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:46:27 +0000

Kate: gopher snakes are actually not a very efficient way to control moles or gophers. If you release one, it just might crawl away to your neighbor’s yard. Even if the snake does catch a gopher, it can take a week or more to digest it. Finally, you can’t buy gopher snakes. It’s illegal to catch and sell native wildlife. Locating and catching a gopher snake and transporting it to your yard is VERY labor intensive and as I said, not an efficient way to deal with these digging critters. /Gary