How to identify Gopher, King, and Rattlesnakes

While summer hasn't officially started, Orange County has been experiencing warmer weather. With the change in temperature, different wildlife begin to emerge at this time, including snakes. Each year Mission Viejo Animal Services receives hundreds of calls about snakes. The most common snakes in the area are the Gopher snake, Western Rattlesnake, and California Kingsnake.

Western Rattlesnake: If you locate a rattlesnake, call Mission Viejo Animal Services and track the movements of the snake until help arrives. Do not attempt to catch or restrain the snake. Rattlesnakes have a large body with a triangular head and blunt tail with a rattle on the end. This snake is often heard before it is seen, but it does not always rattle. They are venomous and dangerous!

Gopher snake: The gopher snake is commonly misidentified as a rattlesnake because of its markings and defensive behavior. Gopher snakes are nonvenomous and have splotchy dark markings on their backs and yellow or brownish coloration with large heads. These snakes are known to hiss loudly, vibrate their tails and flatten their heads when threatened. A common physical trait to easily identify a gopher snake is by the shape of its tail. The tail of a gopher snake comes to a point.

California Kingsnake: The kingsnake is nonvenomous. These snakes often kill and eat other snakes, even venomous ones, including rattlesnakes. Kingsnakes have a number of patterns and color variations. The most common and easily recognizable features in kingsnakes is the banding. They normally have light-colored bands on a darker background; chocolate brown with a cream color band; or black with a white band.

If you are unsure of the species, please contact Mission Viejo Animal Services at 949-470-3045 and press 0.