bull snake

Bull Snake Facts

prey

Small mammals, birds, eggs, frogs, lizards

young name

larvae, young snakes

group behavior

• Lives alone except during mating season
• public den

interesting fact

Considered a "farmer's friend" because it eats mice and other pests.

Bullsnakes are considered "the farmer's friend".

This large snake is one of the largest snakes in North America, especially in the United States and Canada. While it can be a bit cranky if it feels cornered, it is popular on farms because it eats mice, rats, and other vermin. Although it does not eat rattlesnakes as often as rumored, bull snakes do eat once in a while.

Four Surprising Facts About Bull Snakes!

Here are four surprising facts about bull snakes.

• Males are larger than females, which is unusual for a snake.
• Bull snakes are a subspecies of gopher snakes.
• It is named for its bull-like snort.
• It spends most of its day in the burrow and has a shield on its nose to help it dig.

where to find bull snakes

Bull snakes are found throughout North America, from Canada to Mexico. In fact, in Mexico, it's called cincuate. It inhabits abandoned gopher burrows in habitats such as grasslands, farms, and open fields.

scientific name

The scientific name of the bull snake is Pituophis catenifer sayi . Pituophis comes from the Greek word for "pine," which means mercy , and the Greek word for "serpent" is ophis . Catenifer is Latin for "chain bearing". This refers to the pattern on the body of the snake. Sayi is derived from American naturalist Thomas Say.

evolution

The fossil record shows that snakes first appeared during the Cretaceous period—although they often retained their hind limbs. The earliest true snake fossils come from marine simoliphiids, the oldest being hassiophis terasanctus, which dates from 1.12 to 94 million years ago.

Scientists believe that snakes are descended from lizards. Boa constrictors and boa constrictors are the most primitive snake species with degenerated hind limbs and some have remnants of the pelvic girdle as horny protrusions.

Many modern snakes originated in the Paleocene, and the mammalian radiation that occurred after the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs. The expansion of the grasslands of North America resulted in a massive radiation of snakes. During the Miocene, the number of snakes increased with the diversification of the first venomous snakes and cobras, and of the Virididae.

Different Types of Bull Snakes

Bull snakes are a subspecies of gopher snakes that have become a popular pet. Breeders have developed several color morphs, including ghost, white-edged, albino, lutino, red, light, and unpatterned. There are also albino and snow bull snakes. Albino snakes are lighter in color than common bull snakes, while snow bull snakes are almost completely white. If there are any patterns showing, they are very faint.

Population and Conservation Status

Scientists don't know the exact number of these snakes. However, as a subspecies of P. catenifer , the bull snake has a stable population and its conservation status is the least of concern.

How to Identify a Bull Snake: Appearance and Description

Adult bull snakes are large, reaching lengths of up to 8 feet, and have strong bodies, which is unusual for the usually smooth snakes. It usually weighs between 2.2 and 3.3 pounds, although individuals have been found weighing closer to 10 pounds.

Another unusual feature of this non-venomous snake is that males tend to grow larger than females. Wild bull snakes have black, brown, reddish, or white dorsal spots on yellow, cream, or beige ground. The sides of the snake are usually spotted, but some variants have white sides. This color pattern makes it resemble a rattlesnake. Baby snakes are gray until they molt for the first time.

The snake does not completely hibernate, but enters a dormant state in the fall or when food is scarce. It rests in its burrow in October and emerges in April – the start of the mating season in some of its ranges. During its dormant period, it is not uncommon to find this solitary snake with garter snakes, milk snakes, other cattle snakes and even timber rattlesnakes.

How dangerous are bull snakes?

Bull snakes are only dangerous to their prey – they are not poisonous, but their bite can be painful. Some are docile and can be handled, but others will defend themselves with a threatening pose, then bite. When confronted with a large potential predator that cannot escape quickly, the snake will stand in an S-shape, hiss and tail to mimic a venomous rattlesnake. Even when it tries to slide away, it can lunge and bite.

Behavior and Humans

Outside of mating season, these snakes are solitary, spending most of their time resting in ancient gopher burrows. They prefer open habitats with loose soil. Bullsnakes are active during the day and kill their prey by constriction. They usually prey on rodents such as mice, but they are good climbers and have been seen raiding nests for eggs and young.

The snake's breeding season begins in March or April, with the female laying her eggs between April and June, depending on where she lives. She usually lays about a dozen eggs in a sheltered area and leaves. Baby snakes hatch sometime in August. Snakes live from 12 to 30 years. Snakes that are well cared for in captivity live longer.

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