A large constrictor of the North American Great Plains that hisses loudly and rattles its tail when threatened, often mistaken for a rattlesnake.
Description
The bull snake is a heavy yellow to tan colubrid with bold dark brown saddles down the back and a small head with a slightly upturned snout. Adults often exceed 1.8 m, making this one of the longest snakes in North America after the indigo and pine snakes.
Behavior
When alarmed, bull snakes inflate the body, vibrate the tail in dry leaves, and produce a long, low hiss amplified by a unique flap in front of the glottis. The mimicry of rattlesnakes is convincing and intentional, but bull snakes are non-venomous constrictors that prey heavily on rodents.
Range
Found from southern Canada through the central United States to northern Mexico, especially in the Great Plains and intermountain west. They are valued by farmers and ranchers for their suppression of pocket gophers and ground squirrels.
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