Bullsnake
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| Bullsnake | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Pituophis catenifer sayi Schlegel, 1837 |
The Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi) is a large non-venomous colubrid snake, widespread in the central part of the United States, northern Mexico, and southern Canada. It is a subspecies of the Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer). The epithet sayi is in honor of the renowned zoologist Thomas Say.
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[edit] Range
Bullsnakes can be found throughout the central United States northern Mexico, and southern Canada. This includes the U.S. states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
[edit] Description
Bullsnakes often exceed 6 feet (1.8 m) in length, and specimens of up to 100 inches (254 cm) have been recorded. This makes them among the largest US snakes, although generally not as long as indigo snakes or as big around as rattlesnakes. Males are generally larger than females. They are usually yellow in color, with brown, black or sometimes reddish colored blotching. The blotching pattern is as follows: fat blotches on top, three sets of spots on the sides, and bands of black on the tail. Many color variations have been found, including albinos and white varieties.
[edit] Diet
Bullsnakes eat small mammals, such as mice, rats, large insects, as well as ground nesting birds, lizards, and the young of other snakes. Juvenile bull snakes depend on insects, small lizards and baby mice.
(The idea that bull snakes occasionally eat rattlesnakes is sometimes touted as a reason for humans not to harm bull snakes when encountering them in the wild, although a better reason is the bull snake's role in controlling warm-blooded vermin such as rodents. Note that many snakes have a natural immunity to venom, just as rattlesnakes themselves are immune to their own. Some venomous snakes are being researched for the already antivenin inside their bodies to be used for medical purposes.)
[edit] Behavior
Though some bull snakes can be docile, and with some time become accustomed to handling, most bull snakes are quite defensive and known for their perceived "bad attitude".
When threatened by anything as large as a human, a bull snake's primary defense is to flee, if possible.
Bullsnakes are often confused for rattlesnakes and killed by laypersons. Due to its coloration, dorsal pattern, and semi-keeled scalation; the Bullsnake superficially resembles the Western Diamondback Rattler (Crotalus atrox), which is also common within the same range. The bull snake capitalizes on this similarity by performing a very impressive rattlesnake impression when threatened. First, it hisses, or forcibly exhales through a bisected glottis, which flaps back and forth producing a very convincing "rattle" sound. It will also take on a rattlesnake-like "S-curve" body posture, as if it is going to strike. The bull snake will commonly vibrate its tail rapidly amongst the brush or leaves, and flatten its head to make it take on a more characteristic triangular-shaped head of the rattlesnake. These defensive behaviors are meant to scare away threats, not sound an attack.
In contrast to rattlesnakes, which usually keep their tail elevated in order to sound the most efficient rattle, bull snakes tend to keep their tail in contact with the ground, in order to beat it against something to make a sound.
Their rattlesnake mimic is so impressive that it is frequently the bull snake's very undoing when discovered by humans.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Bull Snake Species account from the Iowa Reptile and Amphibian Field Guide
- Bull snakes in captivity
- Gopher Snake Facts & Photos
[edit] Gallery
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