Bullsnake or Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer

Reptiles Alive Name: "Mr. Pituophis"

Hissstory:Mr. Pituophis was found slithering loose in the woods near Long Branch Nature Center in Arlington VA. Since bull snakes are not native to northern Virginia, the nature center staff captured him and transferred him to us.

RA Diet: Frozen rats that are warmed up before being offered.

Natural Diet: Bull snakes will eat rodents, birds, rabbits, eggs and sometimes, lizards.

Range: Bull snakes are a sub-species of gopher snakes, which are found throughout North America. The bull snake sub-species is found in the mid west of the United States and southern Canada.

Habitat: Grasslands and deserts are the primary habitat of bull snakes. They can be found up to 9000 feet in elevation. Bull snakes are diurnal, so they are active in the daytime.

Size: Bull snakes are one of the largest snake species in North America. They can grow over 110 inches long; up to 9 feet long!

Lifespan: Bull snakes live an average of 10-15 years in captivity. Records show that some bull snakes have lived over 25 years.

Reproduction: Bull snakes lay around 2-25 eggs in one or two clutches from June - August. The eggs hatch in about two months.

Conservation: Bull snakes are harmless to humans - they do not have any venom. However, their close resemblance to the rattle snake often gets them in trouble with people.

Cool Fact: Bull snakes are able to hiss very loudly when threatened. They will rattle their tail and flatten their head into a triangle just like a rattlesnake to scare predators and humans away. Although they have no actual rattle on their tail, they are able to still able recreate the buzzing sound. Bull snakes are so awesome!