Cape Baja Gopher Snake

[The Spider Faery]

I would like to make this my first snake. I've held snakes before and am generally comfortable with them (unless they're overwhelmingly large). From what I've researched, this species looks like a corn snake but has more of an attitude. They can get really hissy and are even capable of producing a pseudo rattle snake tail shaking noise. But...I've also researched that they're all 'talk and noise' and aren't actually inclined to bite. The youtube video of someone handling one said that she's never had one strike out to bite her.

Has anyone owned one who can give first-hand info?

 

[viper69]

Can't speak for to that one in general- but have heard from many fellow herpers that gophers make great pets

 

[The Spider Faery]

Alright +1 for gophers!

 

[pitbulllady]

I've owned one of these, along with several other members of the Pituophis clan. Most of them can be "hissy" and moody, sometimes for no apparent reason, and MOST of them are "all talk", but once in awhile you will run across one that is willing to back up the "talk" with action, and a large Pituophis can give quite a nasty bite. The Cape Gopher I had was one of those who would bite. He'd be fine with handling 90% of the time, but once in awhile something unknown would set him off. It had nothing to do with shedding or eating or anything obvious. He'd just get in a bad mood. I'd come into the room and immediately he'd let me know that he'd gotten up on the wrong side of the hide box, lol. The things with snakes in this family is that once they get in a "hissy fit", they will often keep it up for HOURS, literally, and if you've ever heard a large Bull or Pine or Gopher hissing, it's LOUD. You can hear it all over the house! My TX Bull, who lived to be over 20 years old, would get in moods where he wouldn't just hiss, he'd rip up the paper substrate with his teeth, pick up his water bowl and fling it across his enclosure, and really pitch a literal tantrum over something like me offering him the wrong-colored rat(he would not eat a rat with color on it; they had to be pure white) or the cat sleeping on top of his cage, even after the cat had gotten the message and retreated to a quieter locale to sleep. He never would actually bite ME, just inanimate objects, but you could forget sleeping until he got through venting! The Cape Gopher I had, though, would bite hard if you messed with him while he was in one of his "moods". You could go back in a day later and he'd be as gentle as could be. The only "Pits" I had that never hissed or tried to bite were all Northern Pines, all wild-caught locally.

pitbulllady

 

[RzezniksRunAway]

I love gophers, bulls and pines. In my experience they are mostly bluffing. Starting with a baby gets you used to it, because it can be quite startling if you have a 5 ft plus new-to-you adult start the drama BS when you haven't had experience dealing with them. They are awesome snakes.

 

[The Spider Faery]

@ pitbulllady, Thanks! That's exactly the kind of realistic first-hand account I was looking for.

@ RzezniksRunAway, +2 for gophers!