Gopher snakes (Pituophis catenifer) are commonly mistaken for rattlesnakes by homeowners due to their expert mimicry (coiling up, hissing, flattening their heads, and vibrating their tails to create rattling sounds).
While these beneficial constrictors help control gophers and other rodents, most people would understandably prefer not to stumble across a 5-foot snake snake while gardening or barbequing.
Today, we’ll take a quick look at these sneaky snakes. We’ll cover how to remove them, discourage them from visiting, discuss their benefits, and most importantly… how to distinguish them from the rattlesnakes they expertly mimic.
Getting Rid of Gopher Snakes
Due to their benefits and (mostly) harmless nature, it’s usually best to just let a gopher snake go about its business. However, if you’re worried about getting too close to a rattler thinking it’s a gopher snake, this changes things.
Relocation is the best option, so this section will be unusually brief. However, the two methods we’ll discuss are really the only ones you need.
Calling a Professional
While dealing with a gopher snake isn’t too complicated, the risk of misidentifying one is real. If you have the slightest doubt, don’t have access to a sufficiently long capture pole, or aren’t Indiana Jones, your best bet is to call in a professional.
The capture and removal process is usually quick and easy. Once the pro has identified the snake, they’ll capture it and take it from the property. Unless your snake is hiding in a wall or other difficult to reach space (possibly your basement), the whole process may only take a few minutes. Pricing for snakes can vary greatly, but will generally cost less than shaking your doctor’s hand.
Capture and Release
Capturing snakes can be a little more complicated than simply setting a cage trap. Snake capture is generally done with a long pole that has a hook or noose on the end. This is used to pick up the snake and carry it to a container, well away from the capturer’s body. The captured snake can then be released somewhere else to go about its life.
While this is something you can do yourself with the right equipment, be sure you aren’t dealing with a rattlesnake before attempting this type of capture.
Never attempt hand capture since gopher snakes can deliver a painful bite, and more importantly, you risk misidentifying a rattler.
Gopher Snake Prevention
There are three easy ways to keep snakes off your property. Funnily enough, if you want to KEEP a gopher snake around, just do the opposite (you might still want a fence to keep other snakes out, though).
Close the Hotel
Snakes look for food and shelter. Remove debris and stones they can hide under. If you’re unsure whether snakes have already been using these hiding spots, knowing how to identify snake poop around the area is helpful.
Eliminating rodent infestations can also deter snakes from wandering in. No mice and rats means no reason for snakes to stick around.
Build a Barrier
Fences are great at keeping things in you want and out that you don’t want. For snakes, the fence should be at least 30 inches tall, using ¼-inch hardware cloth or something solid such as wood. Solid wood fencing requires gap sealing at ground level. It also pays to extend the fence one or two feet underground to prevent burrowing critters and anything using their tunnels.
Note: Chicken wire won’t cut it as the gap sizes aren’t small enough to prevent entry of many snakes.
Natural Predators
Eagles, falcons, hawks, owls, and several other critters hunt snakes. Consider inviting them to scare off slithering invaders. Just remember they’ll also help control the rodents that attract snakes in the first place.
Getting to Know Gopher Snakes
With a massive territory spanning almost the entire western half of the US and into Mexico and Canada, it should perhaps be no surprise that the gopher snake has numerous subspecies (currently six widely recognized, though some sources count as many as nine when including debated island populations).
Of these, all bear the moniker of gopher snake except for the bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi), so named for the deep rumbling sound they make when scared.
Appearance
These gentle giants are among the largest snakes in the US, with adult gopher snakes ranging from four to five feet long on average. The bullsnake is the longest of the species reaching eight feet in length.
Their base coloration ranges from a light sandy brown to yellowish brown. Along the top, they have large brown to black markings that can range from thick stripes or longer bars, to roughly diamond in shape.
The sides have smaller spots that often resemble the dorsal markings. Note that the shape of the markings can vary along the length of a single snake (in biology, this is referred to as polymorphism and has nothing to do with shapeshifting aliens). Also, if you manage to see one uncoiled, you’ll notice their bodies are slender and have an almost square shape in cross-section.
When threatened, it can unhinge its jaws and flatten its head to imitate the diamond shape of a viper as a means to trick potential predators into thinking it’s venomous. However, the gopher snake is non-venomous and poses no serious threat to humans, though they can deliver a painful bite if handled or cornered.
Behavior
Gopher snakes are surprisingly good method actors. When threatened, they’ll coil up just like a rattlesnake. Their tail will vibrate rapidly, sometimes smacking off of grass or other objects that are close enough resulting in a bit of sound to go along with the visual display. They’ve also learned to use their lips to imitate the sound of rattling, allowing for quite the performance.
Interestingly, gopher snakes that have become isolated on islands where there are no rattlesnakes gradually lose the tail shake, theoretically because predators haven’t learned to fear the rattle.
Another fine bit of acting is what happens if the predator doesn’t back off. The snake will lunge, just like a rattlesnake. However, instead of opening its mouth to bite, the gopher snake bashes its target with a closed snout in hopes that the impact will make the predator think it was bitten and flee.
These acts of imitation, as well as the head shape and markings do a great job of protecting gopher snakes but also lead to a lot of hostility from humans. We’ll get into more detail about how you can tell the difference between these two snakes.
Habitat
As their range would suggest, gopher snakes have adapted to all sorts of environments. Deserts, marshlands, plains, woodlands, and even the foothills of the Rockies are all home to these big snakes.
Do Gopher Snakes Really Eat Gophers?
Yes – and no. Gopher snakes adapt to the potential prey in whatever region they occupy. Gophers are easily one of their favorite meals, but they will also happily hunt other rodents such as mice and squirrels, or even larger critters including rabbits.
They’ve also been known to have a feathery light lunch on occasion, raiding bird nests for eggs and nestlings. The prey is killed through constriction, then swallowed whole.
On a side note, snakes can take one to two weeks to digest meals. Therefore, don’t expect them to be mini (ex)Terminators.
Are Gopher Snakes Dangerous?
Quite the contrary, they can be extremely beneficial critters and pose no threat to your family or most pets. However, very small animals like baby chicks, young rabbits, or toy breed puppies under 5 pounds could potentially be at risk. Your average dog or cat is far too large to interest a gopher snake.
SHOULD You Get Rid of Gopher Snakes?
This is a bit of a rough question. Due to how easily they can be mistaken for rattlesnakes, it might be best to remove the snake just in case an actual rattler comes along. Also, if you have very small pets, they might be at risk if they get too close.
That said, gopher snakes will actively help protect your property from rodents and other small pests if you choose to let them stick around. Thus, one must decide based on their own individual circumstances.
Gopher Snakes vs Rattlesnakes
Okay, this is the big one, but we’ll cover the key points in order of importance and safety. When dealing with ANY snake, stay at least six feet away and use your phone camera to zoom in if you need a closer look. This applies whether you’re dealing with gopher snakes, garter snakes, or more dangerous species like copperheads and rattlers.
🚨 MOST IMPORTANT (Check the tail first):
- Rattlesnake – Stubby tail with visible rattle segments (even if broken off, tail ends bluntly)
- Gopher snake – Long, tapered tail that comes to a point (no rattle)
🔍 If you can see it clearly from a safe distance:
- Body shape – Rattlesnakes are thick and heavy-bodied; gopher snakes are longer and more slender
- Head shape – Rattlesnakes have triangular heads; gopher snakes have narrow heads (though gopher snakes can flatten theirs when threatened)
- Coloration – Rattlesnakes typically have darker base colors; gopher snakes are usually lighter tan/brown
DON’T rely on behavior alone since both species coil, hiss, and shake their tails when threatened. When in doubt, call an expert immediately and keep your distance.
| Feature | Gopher Snake | Rattlesnake |
|---|---|---|
| Tail | Long, pointed, no rattle | Short, blunt, has rattle |
| Body | Slender, 4-5 ft long (up to 8 ft) | Thick, heavy, 3-6 ft long |
| Head | Narrow (can flatten when scared) | Triangular, wide |
| Pupils | Round | Vertical slits |
| Danger level | Harmless (non-venomous) | Dangerous (venomous) |
Morgan is a certified entomologist and pest control consultant and a member of the National Pest Management Association.
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how do you get rid of red hornets/ wasps
This should help: https://www.ridmycritters.com/how-to-get-rid-of-hornets/