So today was a very hot day so I took food out to the boxies this morning, then this evening went out to scrub and change the water dish and water the plants. After I scrubed the water dish and was putting it back I saw a little snake right next to where the water dish goes. It looked like a baby rattler, so I hit it with a hand spade (that was all I had), but it got away. I was pretty freaked out thinking there could be rattlers in my turtle pen, but now I am second guessing myself. Maybe it was a Gopher snake. If it was a Rattler is there a den in my yard? Should I move my turtles? Here are the facts as I recall them. It was about 8 inches long, moved fast, I did not see a rattle (but it was young), the head was not oval like the bigger gopher snakes, it was thin, also its coloring was light. Not dark or bright. I don't know if I injured it and I feel really bad thinking that I may have, but I didn't know what else to do. I was sure it was a rattler at the time and I didn't want it near my turtle or my house.