Bullsnake
Pituophis catenifer sayi • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Pituophis, Species: P. catenifer
North America, primarily ranging from western Canada through the central United States down into northern Mexico, matching the provided location of Northern Colorado.
Look up Bullsnake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Pituophis, Species: P. catenifer
Conservation
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, as it is widespread and adaptable, though localized threats include road mortality and habitat fragmentation.
Physical Description
Displays a yellowish, cream, or light brown background color overlaid with bold dark brown, black, or reddish-brown blotches along the back and smaller spots on the sides. Scales are keeled, giving a somewhat rough texture.
Size & Dimensions
The specimen appears to be an adult around 4 to 5 feet in length. Typical adults range from 3 to 7 feet (90 to 210 cm), with exceptional individuals reaching up to 8 feet.
Habitat
Found in open grasslands, prairies, semiarid shrublands, agricultural fields, and rocky or sandy foothills, utilizing rodent burrows for shelter.
Diet & Feeding
Preys primarily on small mammals such as mice, rats, gophers, as well as ground-nesting birds and eggs. Utilizes constriction to subdue prey after an active search or ambush in burrows.
Reproduction
Oviparous, laying clutches typically ranging from 3 to 24 eggs in underground nests during early summer, with incubation lasting around two months.
Look-alikes
Frequently confused with rattlesnakes due to its similar patterned coloration and defensive behavior of hissing and vibrating its tail, but lacks the rattle at the tail tip.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, as it is widespread and adaptable, though localized threats include road mortality and habitat fragmentation.
Cultural Significance
Highly beneficial to agriculture and ecosystems due to its efficiency in controlling rodent populations, though occasionally persecuted due to misidentification as a rattlesnake.
Notable Features
Known for its ability to produce a loud, intimidating hiss by forcing air through a modified glottis, often flattening its head and vibrating its tail to mimic rattlesnakes when threatened.
Notes
Northern Colorado noon