WILDLIFE: REPTILES

Bullsnake

Pituophis catenifer sayi

Found at Wildcat Bluff

The Bullsnake is a large species of non-venomous colubrid snake found predominantly in the central United States.

Bullsnakes have one of the most expansive ranges of the Pituophis species. It can be found throughout much of the central United States, in the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Colorado, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Montana. It ranges as far north as the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and as far south as the Mexican state of Chihuahua.

Bullsnakes are large snakes, lengths of 7 foot or more are not uncommon, males are generally larger than females. They are usually yellow in color, with brown, black or sometimes reddish colored blotching. Many color variations have been found, including albinos and white varieties.

Bullsnakes eat small mammals, such as rats, mice, rabbits, gophers, prairie dogs, as well as ground nesting birds and the young of other snakes. It is commonly believed that bullsnakes will kill rattlesnakes; this possible misconception is often touted as a reason for humans not to harm bullsnakes when encountering them in the wild.