Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have a gophersnake, Dangerfield, that is about 3 feet long and growing like a weed. i'm still not sure of his age.
but anyway, i'll handle him, and when i put him down, he's usually slightly agitated and he'll dive into his water bowl and swirl around rapidly until his entire body is in the bowl.. then he'll sit there. it's like he's trying to wash off the 'human cooties'.. its really wild to watch.
has anyone else seen this behavior?
many thanks -kristin

My Gopher also is fine when handled, but when I put her back in her cage she rattles like crazy. The bowl trick is new, sounds like a smart animal. Do you wash your hands before handling? I always use hand sanetizer before and after, it's good practice for me and my snake.

yes i always wash my hands afterwards. -k

That's amusing behavior and a great name for a pet snake. Does he have a hidebox and still prefer "shelter" in his water bowl?
I have a 36" black pine hatched from last September so I'm guessing your Sonoran might be about a year old also. I have a female black pine that grew an amazing 24" in her second year and I think that's probably typical for pituophis. My baby black also gets a little nervous when I put him back in his cage but he's getting tamer and tamer each week. Looked like a little water moccasin for the first month or two, love pits! Decter