Gopher snakes make great pets especially for beginners and children. They are easy to take care of, very hardy, interesting to watch and easy to handle.
Let’s learn a little more about gopher snakes then we’ll talk about why they make such great pets.
Gopher snakes belong to a “family” of snakes called colubrids. They are nonvenomous and can be found across North America.
Gopher snakes are also referred to as pine snakes or bull snakes. These snakes are so closely related that they are often considered different names for the same snake.
In the eastern part of the United States they are more often referred to as bull snakes and in the western part of the states they are commonly referred to as gopher snakes.
I grew up in California and have always referred to them as gopher snakes. In fact, when I first heard about bull snakes, I thought it was a completely different species. They sounded so cool I wanted to see one. It wasn’t until later that I learned they are the same snake!
Gopher snakes are one of the largest snakes found in North America. Babies are about a foot or so long and adults can reach lengths of over 8 feet but most grow to around 5-7 feet.
Gopher snakes can often act very aggressive. Hissing loudly, rattling their tail and rearing up for a strike just like a rattlesnake. This is widely considered by experts as nothing more than a big bluff. This makes them all the more interesting.
Gopher snakes eat rodents and can live more than 20 years in captivity.
Below I’ve listed many reasons gopher snakes make a great pet snake as well as some considerations. Let’s take a closer look at each one.
Why Gopher Snakes Make Great Pets
Gopher Snakes Are:
- Affordable
- Easy to care for
- Easy to handle
- Easy to breed
- Rarely bite
Considerations:
- Can be scary
- Can be hard to find
Affordable
Gopher snakes are fairly affordable when compared to other popular snakes like a ball python. They range in price from about $45 US dollars to around $100 dollars. Various morphs are more expensive.
Easy to Care For
Gopher snakes are easy to care for as they don’t have specific hard-to-achieve temperature or humidity requirements. They don’t need special lighting which is always a big plus especially if you don’t want to deal with the cost of special bulbs and fixtures.
Because of their wide distribution gopher snakes tend to be very hardy and can tolerate their owners mistakes much better than many other snakes commonly kept as pets.
This doesn’t mean you should be careless, but it does mean that you can give them a meal and go on a weeklong trip without having to call your friend, or the neighbor kid to come and check on your pet every day while you’re gone. That’s one of the great things about keeping snakes.
It is always strongly advised to learn about caring for your gopher snake (or any animal) before you actually buy one. This doesn’t mean you have to be an expert. Some people spend all their time doing research and never actually move forward feeling paralyzed.
Knowing everything upfront is not required. In fact, it’s impossible to learn everything without having your own hands-on experience. So, just do the best you can to learn the basics and have your enclosure all set up prior to shopping around for your new snake.
Gopher snakes tend to be slow-moving snakes and as such generally don’t need as large of an enclosure as other snakes of a similar size. Babies can be kept in a small 10-gallon terrarium and adults will need about a 50-gallon sized enclosure.
Remember to provide a place to hide and things to explore and climb on. This adds to the overall health of the snake and to your enjoyment as you watch them slither around and explore their habitat.
It’s also important to provide water. Snakes need to stay hydrated. One easy way to kill even a hardy snake is by not providing water.
Gopher snakes do not have extreme heating requirements but they do need to be kept warm. They are a cold-blooded animal and rely on their environment for heat.
This said they will need temperatures of around 75 degrees at night and 85 degrees during the day. It’s also advised to have a “hot-spot” on one side of the cage up to 90-95 degrees.
These temps are best achieved using an under-tank heating mat and a thermostat. Be sure to buy one that is specially made for reptiles. Don’t forget the thermostat.
Heating mats have been known to malfunction at times causing them to overheat and harm or possibly kill the snake they are designed to keep warm and healthy.
Even though these products are generally very safe and malfunctioning has become very rare due to better quality products, it is still a good idea to take the extra step to ensure it doesn’t happen. You can also achieve a warm enough habitat for your snake by using an over the tank heat lamp.
Your gopher snake will eat rodents. As mentioned above they will only need to be fed about once a week. This is great especially if you are a particularly busy person. Their prey items are small (usually frozen thawed adult mice) and are easy to obtain.
You can buy several at a time and just keep them in the freezer until it’s time to feed your snake. This eliminates the need to make several trips to the pet store and makes things much more convenient and hassle free.
Easy to Handle
Gopher snakes are usually pretty easy to handle. They are gentle, docile and rarely bite. They are also relatively alert, curious and active but not fast moving.
All of these things make them great for beginners and especially children who may not be used to handling snakes yet.
Easy to Breed
Gopher snakes breed readily in captivity. They are considered among the easiest snakes to breed and the requirements for doing so are similar to corn snakes, king snakes and other colubrids.
If you want to take your snake keeping hobby to the next level breeding is usually the next step and gopher snakes are a good snake to start with.
Rarely Bite
Despite their occasional seemingly aggressive hissing behavior gopher snakes are not big biters. They can put on quite a show at times but this doesn’t often end up in an owner being bit.
I’ve owned three different gopher snakes and none of them ever bit me. As with most snakes small hatchings can be a little bit nippy but most calm down over time with a little regular handling.
For the reasons listed above and many others gopher snakes have long been kept as pets. Still, there are at least a few things to think about when considering adding a gopher snake to your family.
Considerations:
Can be Difficult to Find
Gopher snakes aren’t generally as popular as other commonly kept snakes. Not as much as they used to be anyway. They tend to be overshadowed by corn snakes, milk snakes, king snakes, ball pythons and boas.
Because they are not as popular there aren’t as many breeders. So, you may sometimes have difficulty finding one. I don’t remember the last time I saw one in a pet shop. You are going to need to search for a breeder at a reptile expo or online.
These snakes are highly underrated but the good thing about this is that they tend to be more affordable as a result.
Can be Scary
Gopher snakes can be scary when they go into full bluff mode. They will hiss really loud, rattle their tails and coil up in a strike position. They even flatten their heads out to appear as much as they can like a venomous rattlesnake.
This behavior is more commonly observed in the wild. It is much less common with captive bred gopher snakes who have gotten used to handling.
That said, when it happens it can be really scary or exciting depending on how you look at it. Experts say this is a bluff and the best way handle it is to pick them up.
When you pick them up, they very readily switch to a “go away” behavior and calm right down.
Conclusion
Gopher snakes make excellent pets especially for first time snake owners and even children. They reach an impressive size but not too big. They are active but not too fast. They are interesting to look at, docile, rarely bite, easy to care for and handle.
What more could someone want in a pet snake? If you are considering a gopher snake, we hope some of this information will help with your decision.