Gopher snakes on the move in Coldstream as fall denning season begins

Gopher Snakes are on the move as Fall approaches

COLDSTREAM, B.C. - A resident walking a local road on Sept. 18 encountered three Great Basin Gopher Snakes in 30 minutes: two already dead on the asphalt and a third still basking on the warm pavement.

The live snake was gently herded off the road before it could be hit.

https://youtu.be/kHMMk9Qq7vU

This Gopher Snake was lucky he was coaxed of the road

The snakes, British Columbia’s largest native species, are often mistaken for rattlesnakes because of their blotched tan-and-brown pattern and their habit of hissing and vibrating their tails when threatened.

They are not venomous.

Mid-to-late September is when many Great Basin Gopher Snakes begin moving from summer foraging areas back toward winter dens. During that travel they frequently use warm roads and gravel to regulate body temperature, which puts them in the path of vehicles.

Road mortality is one of the main threats to the species in the Okanagan.

Some Gopher Snakes pay a high price for basking in the sun

The Great Basin Gopher Snake is listed as Threatened in Canada and is on British Columbia’s Blue List.

All snakes are protected under the B.C. Wildlife Act; it is illegal to kill, harm, capture, possess or relocate them without a permit. Federal species-at-risk law also prohibits killing or capturing listed individuals.

People who find a snake on the road are asked to give it space or, if it is safe, gently guide it toward the shoulder with a long stick rather than pick it up.

Photos and locations can be submitted to the B.C. Conservation Data Centre or iNaturalist to help identify high-risk stretches of road.

Gopher snakes on the move in Coldstream as fall denning season begins