The most common snake in Utah is the nonvenomous gopher, and they’re often mistaken for rattlesnakes. The two share similar tan and brown colorings, and gopher snakes will often hiss or vibrate ...

“This type of mimicry, where a harmless species mimics a harmful species, is known as Batesian mimicry,” said Bill Heyborne, a herpetologist and professor of biology at Southern Utah Universit ...

Bechard owns and runs Utah Rattlesnake Avoidance ... Haley indicated, but the snake’s doppelganger the gopher snake. She held a gopher snake up, and pointed out how its pattern is similar ...