Comments on: Rattlesnakes & gopher snakes: How to tell the difference

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 01:01:21 +0000

Wow, what a cool purple tongue on the first rattlesnake.

By: Marianne Burns

Marianne Burns — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:04:28 +0000

I wrote the above blog on rattlesnake in house. Took pictures. It is a small rattlesnake, a little wider thatn a garden snake in width. Definitely looks like the Western Rattlesnake from the marking shown in pictures. Cut off the rattler end and that is 5/8 inches (beyond the scales.) So, maybe it can be considered a “baby” but it must eat mice or other rodents to survive. Does it eat bugs?

By: Marianne Burns

Marianne Burns — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:30:08 +0000

Gary, We live in Walnut Creek, Northgate area, but not close to the open space. Last night at 11:30 pm I discovered a rattlesnake in our laundryroom behind the door. What alerted me to it was the distinctly loud hissing sound (sizzling sound) and our young cat focused in its direction I grabbed the cat and yelled to my husband, but assumed it was a “garden snake.” He knew rattlesnakes and immediately exclaimed that. It was very exciting as he killed it with a shovel with two daughters screaming nearby. We are assuming it came in through a hole found in the sink cabinet, from under the house. Last fall we had the exterminator out for finding one mouse, and with two indoor/outdoor cats we thought we had that covered. We don’t leave catfood outside ever. How did that snake get as far as our neighborhood (Quiet Place Drive, WC)? Can we expect more snakes? Is there a family of breeding snakes? Where did it come from?? We cut the rattle off, and it truly is a rattlesnake, an adolescent one. But, it certainly made a strong hissing noise!!