# gopher snakes???



## utahgolf

ran into a huge gopher snake out shore fishing at utah lake..I will post the video of it that we got..I didn't know what it was until I got back home and looked at pictures..Just curious about peoples thoughts on this snake?? I don't know anything about them. I hate snakes, so we kept our distance.


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## Critter

They are great mousers and with time will get used to being around people. When I was a kid I had one for a pet. There is also a rummor that they will kill ratttle snakes but I'm not sure on that one.


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## Ryfly

They are cool snakes! I also had one as a pet when I was younger. They are in the genus pituophis. You can identify them by having 4 intranasal scales instead of the usual 2. They are related to Bull snakes and Pine snakes. They are constrictors and mostly eat mice or whatever other small animals they can catch. I don't think they eat rattlesnakes, Kingsnakes are the only ones I know that do that. The one I had was 4.5 feet but I know they do get bigger. They will hiss and rattle their tail when alarmed and they will bite but are otherwise harmless.


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## sawsman

I've seen gopher snakes at Utah Lake and many other areas acrossed the state.

I've heard about them eating rattlers too, but am not sure if it's true.

I encountered a gopher snake a couple of days ago at work. I thought it was kind of an interesting spot that it had chose to camp in... so I took this picture.[attachment=0:20fbiesi]rsz_1gopher_snake.jpg[/attachment:20fbiesi]

I've pulled up close to them several times in my truck and they have actually striked at the wheel! :shock: Seems like they are calm for the most part, but if they feel threatend they'll stand their ground. I'd personally rather encounter these gopher snakes versus rattlers, and I hate *ALL* serpents!


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## flyfisher117

i thought it was blow snakes that ate rattlers...? idk someone will know


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## Treehugnhuntr

I've always known them as the same thing, gopher snakes/blow snakes. I think the latter term comes from the hissing sound they make when threatened, no?


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## Bax*

Treehugnhuntr said:


> I've always known them as the same thing, gopher snakes/blow snakes. I think the latter term comes from the hissing sound they make when threatened, no?


I thought they were called blow snakes because they were addicted to cocaine? :lol:


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## Treehugnhuntr

I knew that, I was just being funny. You can tell, often times they wear gold chains and vaurnets..........


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## Bax*

I think they look like this after a little "blow"


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## Oldtimehtr

Pulled a big one out of a canal once and it was very calm and docile. Left him in the sun for a couple of hours to show the kids when they got home from school. The sun turned him into a cobra -- tried to bite anybody that got close to him. Had a terrible altercation with my Black Lab before I could box him up and return him to the foothills.


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## luv2fsh&hnt

I can't believe people actually have snakes for pets. They are all disgusting. I don't care what brand they are when they cross my path they all become the same brand.... DEAD!


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## lunkerhunter2

+1,000 It makes no difference to me what kind they are. There are no "good"snakes. Kille them on sight.


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## tuffluckdriller

You guys are wusses.

I have a bunch of ball pythons--the most docile, mellow snakes out there. They'll never bite, and they have beautiful patterns. 

Anyway, snakes out there don't hurt your hunting or fishing a bit. Why should you care that they're out there? I hate cats, too, but I don't think they all need to be the "same brand"....


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## The Naturalist

Ryfly said:


> They are constrictors and mostly eat mice or whatever other small animals they can catch. I don't think they eat rattlesnakes, *Kingsnakes are the only ones I know that do that.* The one I had was 4.5 feet but I know they do get bigger. They will hiss and rattle their tail when alarmed and they will bite but are otherwise harmless.


Good call Ryfly. The Great Basin Gopher can kill a Rattler, but it is not their preferred food. Snakes are awesome! I had a Kingsnake in my classroom for a few years. It was a heck of an escape artist. One time we found it in a kids locker, another time in the wall between classrooms, but the third time it was never found. We used to make jokes about it being in the roof/walls etc. eating mice, growing to an enormous size like an Anaconda.
I have found the Gophers to be generally pretty docile.....once they get used to being handled.


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## JERRY

I ran over one with two wheels on one side of my vehicle by the "B' in Bountiful and the thing just kept on going like nothing had happened. Pretty tough if you ask me. I have pics of that one and one other in the Southwest Desert area.


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