Bullsnake

Description & Size

  • Legless
  • No eyelids
  • Lacks external ears
  • Each scale has a prominent ridge in the middle (strongly keeled)
  • Single anal scale
  • Triangular shaped head
  • Enlarged triangular shaped scale on the tip of the head (rostrum)
  • Total length: 76.0-279.0 cm (29.9-109.8 in)
  • Back color: yellow
  • Belly color: yellow with black squares
  • May or may not have darkly colored spots and/or blotches

Life History

  • Diurnal, rarely nocturnal
  • Active season: May – October (Iverson, Young, and Akre, 2008)
  • Breeding season: spring
  • Lays eggs
  • 1-2 clutches of 2-24 eggs per female
Bull snake

Habitat

  • Grasslands
  • Open woodlands
  • Farmlands
  • Rocky outcrops
  • Sandy soils

Diet

  • Small to medium sized mammals
  • Birds
  • Bird eggs

Range 

Bullsnake Range Map

Most common range within the last 50 years and does not include outliers. For more info email researchers email Dennis Ferraro at dferraro1@unl.edu