Bullsnake
Pituophis catenifer sayi
Size
50–72 in
Status
Very rare
Venomous
No
Region
NW IN (prairie)
One of Indiana's largest snakes, a powerful, harmless prairie rodent-hunter that puts on a loud hissing display when alarmed. Very rare in the state.
Identification
A big, heavy-bodied yellow to cream snake with bold black or brown blotches, strongly keeled scales, and a small pointed head. Adults commonly reach 4–6 feet. When threatened it hisses loudly, vibrates its tail, and may flatten its head — an impressive but harmless bluff.
Habitat & Diet
A snake of sand prairies and open grasslands in northwestern Indiana, where it burrows readily. It is a strong constrictor that feeds heavily on rodents and ground-nesting birds' eggs.
Conservation in Indiana
Very rare in Indiana at the eastern edge of its prairie range, limited by the near-total loss of sand-prairie habitat. Prairie conservation is essential to any Indiana populations.
Similar Species & Taxonomy
This large, heavy, blotched snake hisses loudly and vibrates its tail, and is sometimes taken for a rattlesnake or confused with the Foxsnake and Hog-nosed Snake; its size, keeled scales, and pointed snout distinguish it. A bull-, pine-, and gophersnake (family Colubridae). The Bullsnake was long treated as a subspecies of the Pinesnake (Pituophis melanoleucus sayi) before being placed with the western gophersnakes as Pituophis catenifer sayi.
United States Range Map Distribution
Distribution in Indiana
