Gopher snakes - free, safe, and all-natural pest control!

[Bogertophis]

Just a little footage you might enjoy as much as I did- a gopher snake in action- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffa3VJWtI1M

Wild rodents such as pack-rats do SO much damage to vehicles & other property (as shown briefly at the beginning of this video).

[Malum Argenteum]

That's a pretty big rodent!

We have rats here, Norway rats I assume, but I've only ever seen one (in our barn). Mice are a big problem. I did have some car damage from one a couple years ago in an unattached garage -- made a nest in the air filter, and only wrecked the filter but if I hadn't found it the engine would have taken in a bunch of debris.

Relatedly, it is great fun to watch hawks and owls (barred owls; they hunt during the day) catch rodents and rabbits in the yard. Rabbits and especially squirrels are hard on human stuff, too.

Neat video.

[Bogertophis]

I used to keep both bull & gopher snakes- & admired the wild gopher snakes where I lived, also. They're impressive snakes, for sure- very strong & feisty constrictors, & active diurnal hunters.

They'll consume small rabbits too: on occasion they've been observed to kill a rabbit that was much larger than they could swallow. Oops- (happened at my sister's ranch, years back) They're also not above stealing chicken eggs. But hunting out in the open & by day, they too have to worry about being the hunted one- by hawks & owls.

[Bogertophis]

I should add that humans are a HUGE threat to wild gopher snakes- many claim they killed a "rattlesnake". Gopher, bull & pine snakes are all very good at vibrating their tails, & in dry brush the sound is reminiscent of a rattlesnake, but they look NOTHING like them. Too many people just look for an excuse to kill snakes.