This beautiful Sonoran Gophersnake decided to take a siesta under an outdoor grill and was fast asleep until Jon gently interrupted. With several pockets of desert scattered throughout the neighborhood, there are plenty of places for snakes to move through and settle in. Jon safely relocated it to a good spot and released it into a gopher burrow within its estimated home range, though it was a little too quick to dive in for a release photo.
This was going to be one of those “can you see it” posts, but it hardly seemed fair.
A homeowner sat at this little table to enjoy her morning coffee when she saw she wasn’t alone. Placing her arm on the table had disturbed a resting Sonoran Gophersnake. Suddenly, the coffee was no longer necessary. The snake was gently captured and released into a nearby arroyo, directly into deep cover.
A Sonoran Gophersnake made its way into a chicken coop, and had recently found a meal. Chicken coops are magnets for snakes because they also attract other prey items, like rodents and other birds. Apryl helped it get back out.
This Sonoran Gophersnake was called in as a rattlesnake. It’s easy to see why – the pattern, and sometimes behaviors and sounds of these snakes can be superficially similar to rattlesnakes.
In many cases the homeowners opt to keep the snake there after it’s discovered it’s not dangerous in any way, but more often this first surprise encounter is a learning experience and the snake is relocated responsibly.
More about why we sometimes relocate harmless snakes: https://rattlesnakesolutions.com/snakeblog/rattlesnake-solutions/why-relocate-harmless-snakes/
Marissa went to investigate possible rattlesnake activity at a home in Ahwatukee, but it ended up being a shed skin from a gophersnake. Indicators here: strongly keeled (ridged) scales along the back of the body, visible black bands in the latter third into the pointed tail, and a dorsal stripe running down the center of the skin, which is formed by tightening of the smaller dorsal scales as the shed dries in gophersnakes.
For more information on our Property Inspection service: https://rattlesnakesolutions.com/keep-snakes-away/rattlesnake-prevention.php
