Bullsnakes are known by several other common names, including gopher snake, pilot snake and pine snake. These snakes are the largest in Minnesota – averaging five feet in length. Bullsnakes in other parts of their range can be larger; in fact, the largest on record measured over eight feet long!
What They Eat
Bullsnakes play an important role in helping to limit populations of agricultural pests, such as small mammals. These nonvenomous constrictors mainly eat rodents, but will also eat birds, bird eggs, lizards, smaller snakes, insects, bats and frogs. The majority of their diet is pocket gophers, rats, mice, young rabbits and ground squirrels.
Where They Live
Bullsnakes range throughout central and western North America, from Indiana west to southwest Canada, and south to northern Mexico. They can be found in a variety of habitats including prairie, desert, woodlands, shrublands, rocky bluffs and agricultural fields, with a preference for areas with well-drained, loose soil. In Minnesota, they are found along the Mississippi, St. Croix and Minnesota rivers.
What They Do
In colder climates, bullsnakes hibernate for about six months of the year to avoid freezing. They will spend the winter below the frostline in deep underground burrows, like those of a pocket gopher or ground squirrel. Bullsnakes are solitary, but will come together for annual breeding between June and August.
How They’re Doing
With a stable North American population, bullsnakes are listed as being a “least concern” for extinction. In Minnesota, they are listed as a species of “special concern” with major threats to bullsnake survival being habitat destruction and degradation.
Where in the World
North America
Habitat
Prairies, woodlands, deserts, pastures
Conservation Status
Animal Facts
Body Length: 3–8 feet
Weight: 2–4 pounds
Number of eggs: 2–24 per clutch
Lifespan: 12–15 years in the wild, up to 33 years in zoos
Taxonomic Category
Reptile, snake
