From Alivia: Homeowners called after spotting a snake crawling along the wall of their backyard in a Scottsdale home. They have rattlesnake fencing and based on the snakes description I advised them it was a harmless non-venomous species, they however still requested our help in relocating it. As I arrived I was informed that their kind neighbor who was also a lover of snakes helped them soon before I had arrived and contained a large gopher snake for them. The homeowners still asked I stay and thoroughly inspect the property for more snakes and to advise them on ways to improve their landscaping to be less attractive for snakes in their yard. The homeowner is an avid gardener and the backyard presents itself as an oasis in a desert landscape with a pool and a variety of plants.

As I was poking around and pointing out areas which could be thinned out to provide less attractive cover we all spotted a second adult gopher snake climbing up one of the bushes I had just rustled around in. I contained that second snake and as I was preparing to leave to relocate the snake I received a message from a friend and local snake advocate that they were the neighbor who had moments before gotten the first gopher snake! We were able to meet up with him and his whole family at a nearby trail system within the snakes home range and release this suspected male and female pair of gopher snakes into the same deep cover together. It was heartwarming to see the enthusiasm in his young daughter as she was so excited to help release the snakes with me! Pictured is Presley with the snake she helped her dad get from their neighbors yard and then the snake I got from the same yard, and her and I as we got to reunite the 2 yard buddied up gopher snakes.

(Presleys dad and goes by the Arizona Herper on Instagram and gives us full permission to feature us and their photos as we’d like)