Bullsnake (TWO PICS of a Bullsnake)

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Great pics!

Steve in NC

 

[lleighmay]

Excellent photos! Years ago when I worked at a nature center we had one- great temperament and really comfortable being handled. I wish we had them in this part of the country- they would be more than welcome in my yard

 

[IggiMom]

Well, I would still rather have a kitty to catch my mice!

I used to see lots of Bullsnakes in Montana. I don't know why they are called Bullsnakes.

Those are nice pictures. Did you take them? If so, what kind of camera did you use?

Catherine

 

[cgmccary]

Thanks everyone!

Incidentally, my Bullsnake is a several generation captive born snake. I do not believe in taking snakes from the wild as pets. Although some may fare well, others will not. Also, in some States, such as Iowa, it is illegal to catch and keep Bullsnakes -- (video on link also):

http://www.herpnet.net/Iowa-Herpetology/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=26

In Kansas: (calling it a Gopher Snake but this is a Bullsnake):

http://www.gpnc.org/gophersnake.htm

I wish we had them in Alabama as well. Our Pine Snake is a very secretive animal and very, very rare to discover one. In Alabama, Indigo snakes, if they still exist, are illegal to possess (as they are in Florida). You can buy & own them that are captive born however (and there are plenty of herp breeders out there rasing these snakes).

Like many of you, we have Rat Snakes in great abundance. They will take young chickens and eggs before they will eat rats or mice (though my big birds will kill even a large rat snake), and I try and relocate them afar anyway.

HippieChickens:Is it just puffed up, or does it have a full belly?

She is puffed up but she eats 1-3 rats per week so stays full.

Sitka:Any clue why they are called Bullsnakes?

I don't have any idea why they are called Bullsnakes. I looked in the literature for the answer to this question and have not found anything. The Genus is Pituophis (pronounced PIT-CHEW-O-FUSS). The other members of this genus are easier: the Pine snakes which I know are found in pine woods and Gopher snakes because a favorite food is gopher rats. Bullsnake is Pituophis catenifer sayi.

My Buckeyes are excellent at catching mice as well; thank goodness, they don't eat as many as the Bullsnake though. I had a 12 week old cockerel catch a mouse a few weeks ago. This is the youngest Buckeye I have seen catch a mouse. I was out doing early morning chicken chores and noticed the young cockerel move at lightening speed and come up with the mouse. The other juveniles chased him for it.​

 

[luvmychixandducks]

Here on the east coast we have the Hognose snake that also mimics the activities of poisonous snakes to scare away predators.
I had a coworker move here from Minnesota and he encountered a Hognose snake which went into its act - first it raised up its head and spread its neck to mimic the cobra. If this doesn't work, it does like the bullsnake, and rattles its tail in dead leaves to mimic a rattlesnake.
If this fails to discourage a predator its final line of defense is to play "possum" and roll over on its back and play dead.
My coworker said it never got to defense number three as he hit it with a shovel and buried it.
He was so proud of his defense of property by standing up to the snake and killing it - until I walked him over to the Boston Public Library and showed him then not only are Hognose snakes harmless, but they are protected.
He felt badly about killing it, so I guess I have saved future snakes in this area from a similar ending - he felt even worse when I told him that the Museum of Science in Boston had a rubber Hognose snake in their reptile exhibit and were looking for a live one to put on display.
He could have done a good deed for both the snake and the museum to capture it and bring it alive to work the next day.
(We worked just a short subway ride from the museum.)