Can I pick up a gopher snake?

Gopher snakes are active during the day, they're very curious and enjoy investigating new things in their enclosures. In general, most are perfectly docile and allow themselves to be handled without a fuss.

Can you touch a gopher snake?

Unless you have experience handling venomous snakes, you should never handle a snake unless you are absolutely sure that it is not dangerous. A Sonoran Gophersnake crawls around in Imperial County. A Sonoran Gophersnake races across a road just after sunset.

Can a gopher snake hurt you?

You don't want to risk injuring yourself or the snake. Gopher snakes are nonvenomous but can still inflict a painful bite.

What happens if a gopher snake bites you?

The gopher snake is not venomous or poisonous, and it is mostly harmless. What happens if a gopher snake bites you? Gopher snake bites pack a lot of punch, but they won't cause any long-term damage. The worst reaction will be pain over the bite, but there is no venom.

When should you not pick up a snake?

For smaller snakes, grab or lift the snake around the middle of its body or lower. For larger snakes, grab or lift the snake approximately 1/3 of the way down its body from the head. You should never grab a snake by the neck, as this could cause serious injury and may make the snake struggle and bite you.

Grabbin Gopher Snakes Bare Handed

Should you pick up a snake?

If you need to pick up a snake, you can use the tail to control the snake, but equal support should be at the front of the body through the use of a snake hook or your hand. You should generally avoid picking a snake up at all unless it is to safely transport it away from your property.

How do you deal with a gopher snake?

They tend to remain active when held, but you can keep them in place by switching your hands underneath them as they go. Be sure to support their weight for them as they aren't always the best climbers, and avoid handling them while they're in shed or after they've just eaten a meal.

How painful is a gopher snake bite?

Gopher Snake Bite

When threatened, a gopher snake will attack with a closed mouth to scare off predators. But they can also unleash a powerful bite that can cause severe pain to its target.

How do you get rid of gopher snakes?

How long will a gopher snake live?

Species Specifics

Gopher snakes will live to be about 10-15 years old, longer in human care.

How do you tell a gopher snake from a rattlesnake?

Even though their body types differ – the gopher snake is longer, its body is slender and whip-like compared to the rattlesnake's heavy-bodied, broad appearance – the big give-a-way is the shape of the head and pupils. Rattlesnakes have a flat, triangular head in comparison to a gopher snake's narrow, rounded one.

Does a gopher snake hiss?

The gopher snake is commonly misidentified as a Rattlesnake because of its markings and defensive behavior. It may hiss loudly, flatten its head, vibrate the tail, and strike when annoyed. A male sometimes will bite a female on the back of her neck when mating. The gopher snake usually lays between 2 and 8 eggs.

How long does it take a gopher snake to shed?

Spray inside it as needed to keep the contents moist, and after about a week, your snake should slough off its old skin in one piece, complete with eye spectacles and tail tip. Food only needs to be offered to gopher snakes once weekly.

How big does a gopher snake get?

Pacific gopher snakes are large strongly built snakes with an average adult length of 48 to 66 inches. Their body's upper side is white, yellow, or light gray with many brown or red blotches, and their underside is white with dark spots along the sides.

How do you identify a baby gopher snake?

Gopher snakes are nonvenomous and have splotchy dark markings on their backs and yellow or brownish coloration with large heads. These snakes are known to hiss loudly, vibrate their tails and flatten their heads when threatened. A common physical trait to easily identify a gopher snake is by the shape of its tail.

Can gopher snakes climb walls?

There are some very good climbers, like Gophersnakes, Coachwhips, and kingsnakes, that can do fun things like climb straight up rough stucco walls – so seeing one of these snakes in a rattlesnake-fence protected area is not an indicator that the fence has failed in some way.

Is a bull snake and a gopher snake the same?

The bull snake is a common name for a race of snakes in the same species more commonly known as gopher snakes. The race termed bull snakes occurs in eastern New Mexico and up through the Great Plains and Midwestern states. The eight other races of snakes in this species are referred to as gopher snakes.

Do gopher snakes swim?

Gopher snakes are terrestrial animals (spend majority of time on the land), but they are also excellent climbers and swimmers.

How fast do gopher snakes grow?

For the first three years of their lives, Pacific gopher snakes grow rapidly until they've reached a minimum adult length of about 3 feet. They establish home ranges of between 2 and 4 acres that seldom overlap with the home ranges of other Pacific gopher snakes.

How long can a gopher snake go without eating?

Generally speaking, snakes can go a long time without being fed or eating. Nearly all snakes can last a few weeks, no problem. Similarly, most snakes can even last a few months. After the two-month mark, certain snakes will begin to starve.

How do you identify a gopher snake?

Head and eyes: Gopher snakes usually have round pupils compared to the diagonal the elongated pupils of the rattlesnake. Color and markings: Gopher snakes are usually a lighter color of tan or brown, covered in darker splotches of mostly brown or black—however the colors can vary in individual snakes.

Why do snakes let you hold them?

Snakes are likely able to recognize their owner and behave in a trusting manner with them. You can encourage a bond with your snake by handling them at the right time and in the right way, associating yourself with good things, and recognizing the signs that a bond is developing.

Can you get sick from holding a snake?

Turtles, frogs, iguanas, snakes, geckos, horned toads, salamanders and chameleons are colorful, quiet and often kept as pets. These animals frequently carry bacteria called Salmonella that can cause serious illness in people.