Hello, my friend. I don't often write concerning snakes but when I saw you had a gopher snake, I had to respond. Many years ago, probably around twenty-five or so, my family and I were at the Clyde Buckley Wildlife Area near Frankfort, Kentucky when I noticed a large snake crossing the road. I knew it wasn't poisonous, although there were copperheads in the area, so I stopped the car and got out. The snake stopped and just looked at me and, being a guy who liked snakes when he was little, I knew it was a gopher snake, around six feet long and apparently well-fed. I gently pinned it behind the head, then picked it up and after it showed no inclination to bite me (I'm not much for getting bitten by anything, if I can help it), I just sort of let it move around in my hands. My son was still pretty young, probably around twelve or so, and at that point, he took the snake and it just sort of rolled into a ball in his hands. I never saw anything like it. About that time, a fellow called out to me, "Whatcha got there, my friend?" He was coming from the office of the area and turned out to be a naturalist who worked there. "Looks like a gopher snake," I replied, "but I'm not really sure." He came over and I gave the snake to him and her affirmed it was a gopher snake. All this time, the snake never gave any sign of being upset or wanting to bite. This being the case, if I were to want a snake as a pet, which I really don't (my wife would move out and my daughter would never come to visit), it would be a gopher snake.
Sunshine is a very pretty snake. She's much prettier than the one I found that day. His markings were more just mottled browns and tans, with a bit of ocher here and there.
Anyway, I thought I'd bore you with this little story from Kentucky. I hope you and Sunshine have a long happy life together. May you be blessed in all ways.
Jim Grayson
Lexington, Kentucky
USA