DEAR JOAN: My husband and I having been meaning to tell you about our newest backyard visitor. I Googled his markings and discovered he is probably a Western gopher snake. I found him when I lifted our fountain up to drain the rainwater out; he had made a tight little den under it. Now when we look for him he is usually there.

I wonder if there is anything we need to do to encourage him to stay. Or is there a way we will know if he is in distress and needing help? If so, I would try to catch him and take him to the wildlife center, where he could get the care he needs. Or are we doing the right thing by just leaving him alone?

A gopher snake has made its home in a backyard.
A gopher snake has made its home in a backyard. (Courtesy of Rob and Lois Grace)

We haven't seen a gopher since he's been here and I'd like to have him stay, but we just can't figure out if or when he is eating. He seems active when it's warm so I don't think there is anything wrong with him.

When your backyard backs up to an open space it's all kinds of exciting.

Rob and Lois Grace

San Jose

DEAR ROB AND LOIS: Thank you so much for seeing the joy of having wildlife in your yard, and sharing your space. A lot of people welcome other creatures into their yards, but freak out about snakes.

Growing up in an area with a lot of poisonous snakes around, I was raised to fear all snakes, so I can understand the uneasiness. If we just calm down for a minute, however, we realize the beauty of these creatures.


Gopher snakes are among the best-tempered snakes around. They are content to slither around the yard in search of their favorite food, gophers. They also like mice and rats, and will also eat small rabbits, voles, ground squirrels and birds or eggs.

If you have a large infestation of gophers and rodents, don't expect one gopher snake to make much of a difference, though. They only eat one gopher a week, and their prey procreate at such a rate that they always stay ahead of the snake.

Gopher snakes have a hard plate on their nose that allows them to burrow into the ground in search of prey and warmth in the winter. You'll generally only find them where there is plenty of food, so as long as you don't do anything to upset that balance, your new friend should stick around.

You probably aren't seeing him eat because he is hunting in underground gopher tunnels. The snakes are diurnal -- active in the day -- but when nighttime temps heat up they will hunt at night as well.

It sounds like you're doing a great job respecting boundaries. It's best to keep it that way.

DEAR JOAN: I have a dove nest in a plant on my balcony. I was wondering how long they nest before the babies are born? It has been over a week.

We also have a dove nest in our carport that's been there a long time. It's high up on a pipe. Several years ago one of the babies fell out and my husband picked it up and put it back.

What if that happens again? Is that the right thing to do or should we leave it alone?

Karen Coutant

San Mateo

DEAR KAREN: Incubation takes about two weeks, and then the squabs will remain in the nest another couple of weeks.

Don't worry about picking up a bird and putting it back in the nest if you can do it safely. The mother bird won't mind a bit.

If the birds aren't using the old nest, take it down.

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