This gopher snake made a stand against an encroaching photographer in the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico.

Footage captured by Robert Zambrano shows the snake slithering across a path before coiling up and unleashing an eerie hissing noise.

"As a defence mechanism, a gopher snake will pump himself up with air to look bigger. Then make a hissing noise by releasing the air. Sounds similar to a rattlesnake's rattle. We kept our distance," Zambrano said.

While trail riding in the jemez mountains of new Mexico I came across this large Gopher snake crossing the trail. He took his time crossing the trail and decided that was as far as he wanted to go. Then he wanted to fight. As a defense mechanism, a gopher snake will pump himself up with air to look bigger. Then make a hissing noise by releasing the air. Sounds similar to a rattlesnake's rattle. We kept our distance!