Gopher snakes (Pituophis catenifer catenifer) are very large snakes (reaching 3-7 feet long) that live throughout the Bay Area in a wide variety of habitats. Forests, grasslands, deserts, chaparral, marshes and even suburbia are all places that the gopher snake calls home.
Although they are non-venomous and not dangerous to humans, they are often mistaken for rattlesnakes because of their similar coloration — tan bodies that feature dark blotches. When threatened, a gopher snake will sometimes mimic a rattlesnake by shaking its tail against its body to make vibrations that sound similar to a rattle.
Gopher snakes are avid hunters of small mammals (especially pocket gophers), birds and their eggs, lizards and insects. They kill their prey by constricting the animal with their body, or by pressing it up against the walls of their underground burrows.
If you want to see a gopher snake in person, head up to the David C. Daniels Nature Center to meet Rolo the gopher snake, Midpen's resident reptile ambassador.
