In British Columbia, Gopher Snakes emerge from hibernation in April and mating occurs throughout May (Waye and Shewchuk 2002). They are oviparous with a mean clutch size of 4.6 eggs laid in late June or early July (Shewchuk 1996). Nest sites often are communal, containing the eggs of several female Gopher Snakes, and may include the eggs of other species such as the Racer (Parker and Brown 1980; Shewchuk 1996). Hatchlings emerge in late August or early September after an incubation period of 60-80 days (Shewchuk 1996). At the northern limits of their range, females mature at a smaller body size and possibly at a later age and have smaller clutch sizes than populations farther south. In addition, most adult females likely reproduce every second year.
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Gopher Snakes kill their prey by constriction or, in the case of smaller prey, by swallowing them alive. Their diet consists of ground squirrels, cottontail rabbits, pocket gophers, voles, deer mice, nestling birds and eggs, garter snakes, lizards and insects (Waye and Shewchuk 2002).
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Gopher Snakes are most likely to be seen during the daytime in the spring and fall. During the heat of the summer, gopher snakes are most active at night, dawn and dusk and often spend daylight hours underground in vacant rodent burrows. They are good at burrowing, climbing and swimming. If threatened, a Gopher Snake may act aggressively and inflate its body, flatten its head, hiss loudly and shake its tail rapidly. However, they are non-venomous and pose no threat to humans.
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In British Columbia, Gopher Snakes hibernate from November to March. They emerge from their dens in April and are known to migrate up to 2.2 km to egg-laying and summer foraging areas (Shewchuk 1996). In the summer, the majority of movements are less than 200 m between feeding and shelter areas. In mid-summer, they shed their skin and may be inactive for 10–15 days (Parker and Brown 1980; Shewchuk 1996).
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