GOPHER SNAKES VS. RATTLESNAKES: It’s getting warmer outside which means many animals, including snakes, will become much more active. Snakes are so beneficial to our environment and it’s important to treat them with respect. They “pay rent” by consuming lots of rodents; even their presence may keep pests away. We have two snakes in our area that may look very similar at first glance. The Pacific gopher snake and the western rattlesnake are both brown and have diamond shaped patterns going down t