Bullsnake / Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Pituophis, Species: Pituophis catenifer
Widely distributed across North America, including southern Canada, most of the United States (excluding the Northeast and deep Southeast), and northern Mexico.
Look up Bullsnake / Gopher Snake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Venomous Status
Non-venomous; aglyphous (lacks specialized fangs).
Danger Level
Harmless. While large individuals can bite defensively if cornered, they pose no significant risk to humans or pets.
Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Pituophis, Species: Pituophis catenifer
Conservation
Least Concern (IUCN). Generally abundant, though locally threatened by habitat fragmentation and road mortality.
Physical Description
A heavy-bodied snake with a yellowish or tan base color and dark brown or black rectangular blotches. The head is relatively narrow compared to the neck, with a dark line between the eyes and another from the eye to the angle of the jaw. Scales are keeled (ridged).
Size & Dimensions
Typically ranges from 90 to 180 cm (3-6 feet), though specimens can reach up to 240 cm (8 feet). The individual in the image appears to be an adult of average size, roughly 120-150 cm.
Habitat
Generalist species found in prairies, deserts, open woodlands, agricultural fields, and brushlands. Inhabits elevations from sea level to over 2,700 meters, often utilizing mammal burrows.
Behavior & Temperament
Diurnal in moderate weather, becoming crepuscular or nocturnal in high heat. Known for a loud, hissed defensive display and rapid tail vibration in dry leaf litter, which mimics a rattlesnake.
Diet & Feeding
Primarily rodents (gophers, mice, rats) supplemented by birds, eggs, and occasionally lizards. They are powerful constrictors that often hunt in burrows.
Reproduction
Oviparous (egg-laying). Females lay clutches of 2 to 24 eggs in mid-summer, which hatch in late summer or early autumn. No parental care is provided after laying.
Venom Profile
Non-venomous - no medically significant venom.
Look-alikes
Commonly confused with Rattlesnakes (Crotalus spp.) due to similar coloration and defensive displays. Distinguished by having round pupils (vs. vertical), a lack of heat-sensing pits, a pointed tail without a rattle, and a narrower head.
Conservation Status
Least Concern (IUCN). Generally abundant, though locally threatened by habitat fragmentation and road mortality.
Cultural Significance
Highly valued by farmers and gardeners for natural pest control, as a single snake can consume dozens of rodents per year.
Notable Features
Features a specialized epiglottis that vibrates when the snake exhales forcefully, producing an unusually loud and intimidating hiss unique among North American snakes.