Gopher Snake / Bullsnake
HarmlessPituophis catenifer · also called bullsnake, pine snake, blow snake
The gopher snake is the great rattlesnake impersonator of the west. Threatened, it flattens its head into a triangle, hisses explosively through a specialised flap in the windpipe, and buzzes its tail against dry vegetation. The performance is so convincing that gopher snakes are killed as rattlesnakes constantly. There is no rattle, no venom, and no danger.
Quick facts
- Venom
- Harmless and non-venomous. Killing bullsnakes is counterproductive: they compete with rattlesnakes and eat large numbers of rodents.
- Adult length
- 36–84 inches (91–213 cm)
- Markings
- Large dark brown or black squarish blotches on a cream, tan or yellowish ground, becoming crossbands on the tail. The head is narrow with a slightly pointed snout and an enlarged scale on the tip of the nose.
- Habitat
- grassland, desert, farmland, suburban, rocky
- Family
- colubrid
- Range
- 22 US states
How to identify a gopher snake / bullsnake
- No rattle. The tail tapers to a point, however loudly it is being vibrated.
- Round pupil, and no heat-sensing pit between eye and nostril.
- Narrow head that is only slightly wider than the neck even when flattened, with a pointed snout.
- The hiss is far louder and longer than a rattlesnake's — a drawn-out roar rather than a buzz.
What it does when it sees you
The full bluff display is spectacular and entirely hollow. Left alone, a gopher snake will move off within a minute or two. It is one of the most effective rodent predators in western agriculture.
What the gopher snake / bullsnake is confused with
One test settles each of these.
Look at the tail. A rattle means rattlesnake; a plain tapering tail means gopher snake, no matter what noise it is making.
The rattlesnake's head is dramatically wider than its neck and it has a rattle; the bullsnake's is not and does not.
Where it lives
Before anything else
- Back away and leave it alone. A snake that can see you leaving has no reason to bite. Most bites in the United States happen to people who picked up, cornered, or tried to kill a snake.
- Never handle a snake to identify it. Every identification on this site can be made from a photo or from several feet away.
- If someone is bitten, call emergency services now. Keep the limb still and below the heart, remove rings and watches, and go to hospital. Do not cut, suck, apply ice, or use a tourniquet — all of these make outcomes worse.
- Do not try to catch the snake for identification. A photo from a distance is enough, and hospitals treat symptoms rather than species.
In the US, the Poison Help line is 1-800-222-1222. This site is a reference, not medical advice.