This is Buzz, our Gopher Snake, displaying tail vibration while he waits for us to finish cleaning his habitat! Tail vibration involves shaking of the tail in response to a possible predatory threat, and it is believed these snakes try to mimic the rattling sound produced by rattlesnakes. Gopher snakes come from North America, the same place where Rattlesnakes can be found, and because of their behavior, their scales shape and color, and the way they can coil their body, people often confuse Gop

WAIT FOR IT A gopher snake emerges from the tall grasses, probing the air with its tongue before silently slithering away in southeast Washington. The gopher snake, as the name suggests, is known for hunting small mammals like rats and rabbits. They will also eat birds, bird eggs, lizards and insects. When threatened, gopher snakes are known to coil up and do their best to mimic a rattlesnake; but there is no rattle and they are nonvenomous. This snake was spotted at McNary National Wildlife Ref

A quick release of a Sonoran Gophersnake to deep cover. These are harmless snakes, but we still need to move them from time to time. More about why we sometimes relocate harmless snakes: https://rattlesnakesolutions.com/snakeblog/rattlesnake-solutions/why-relocate-harmless-snakes/ | Rattlesnake Solutions

Sonoran Gophersnakes like to make noise and look scary, but we know better. | Rattlesnake Solutions