{"id":10775,"date":"2022-03-20T11:04:52","date_gmt":"2022-03-20T11:04:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?page_id=10775"},"modified":"2022-04-24T16:38:31","modified_gmt":"2022-04-24T16:38:31","slug":"bull-snake","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/bull-snake\/","title":{"rendered":"Bull Snake: Key Facts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever wondered why people sometimes confuse bull snakes with rattlesnakes? Or maybe you\u2019re simply curious about how large bull snakes can grow, where they live, and how they kill and eat their prey<\/a>. Keep reading! In this article, we\u2019ll discuss these and other bull snake key facts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quick Facts About Bull Snakes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Scientific Name:<\/strong><\/td>Pituophis Catenifer Sayi<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
Type of Animal:<\/strong><\/td>Reptile; constrictor<\/td><\/tr>
Physical Description:<\/strong><\/td>Large patterned constrictors with alternating light and dark splotches and dark bands on the tail. Usually yellow to beige and brown to black in color. These snakes typically have pale bellies, dark, round eyes, and pointed snouts used for digging burrows.<\/td><\/tr>
Distribution:<\/strong><\/td>Found throughout the Central and Southern United States as well as parts of extreme southern Canada and extreme northern Mexico.<\/td><\/tr>
Habitat:<\/strong><\/td>Can live in a variety of habitats but found mostly in deserts, conifer forests, and grasslands.<\/td><\/tr>
Average Size:<\/strong><\/td>– 4 to 6 feet long; may grow up to 8 feet long.
– 2 to 4 pounds; may grow up to 10 pounds.<\/td><\/tr>
Average Lifespan:<\/strong><\/td>12 to 16 years in the wild; up to 22 years in captivity.<\/td><\/tr>
Diet:<\/strong><\/td>Opportunistic carnivore; food groups include:
– Small mammals
– Birds
– Small reptiles
– Amphibians
– Eggs<\/td><\/tr>
Venomous?<\/strong><\/td>No<\/td><\/tr>
Average Number of Eggs:<\/strong><\/td>3 to 24<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What Are Bull Snakes?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bull snakes are nonvenomous constrictors (subspecies of gopher snakes<\/a>) often mistaken for rattlesnakes. This is because they have similar colors and patterns to rattlesnakes, and they often hiss, coil their bodies, and shake their tails when threatened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bull snakes live throughout the central and midwestern parts of the United States, reaching into southern Canada and northern Mexico. They eat a number of small animals, from rats to birds to frogs, and they kill their prey by wrapping their bodies around it and suffocating it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bull snakes lay anywhere from a few to two dozen eggs<\/a> each year. They lay their eggs in nests in the ground, covering them with dirt and then leaving them to self-incubate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bull snakes can be aggressive if they feel threatened, but according to the Missouri Department of Conservation<\/a>, they often calm down quickly and will allow humans to handle them<\/a>. For this reason, they are sometimes kept as pets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out this video to learn more about bull snakes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Fr06m_7ebYM<\/a>