Bullsnake
The bullsnake is tan, yellow, or cream-colored with numerous, large, brown, or black blotches. The markings along the back and sides are generally black on the neck and tail, and brown at midbody. The tail may have light and dark bands. There is often a dark line angling from the eye down to the jaw, and black bars along the upper lip. The belly is yellow or cream-colored, with a checkering of square or rectangular, dark brown or black spots along the sides. If approached or cornered, a bullsnake will coil, vibrate its tail, and hiss loudly with the mouth partly open. If captured, it will bite to defend itself, but some individuals will calm down quickly and can be handled with ease. Adults can grow to over six feet (1.8 m) long and some, very large individuals have been captured at around eight feet (2.5 m) long!
Despite the fact that the Bullsnake is a prairie-dwelling species that lives in a relatively small area in northwest Indiana, it is not endangered because it has adapted well to old fields and abandoned lots as suitable habitats. They are excellent burrowers and are often discovered when digging. Their survival in agricultural areas is largely due to this fossorial habit. Their main diet consists of mice, squirrels, rabbits and birds. When disturbed or threatened they hiss loudly, vibrate their tail, and may strike.
The distribution of the Bullsnake extends from southern Alberta to southwest Wisconsin, and south to southern Texas. Bullsnakes are restricted to the northwestern sand prairie region of Indiana, but were historically known from remnant sand prairies in Knox County (that are now largely gone). Isolated populations persist in northwest Indiana across to Illinois, and in southwest Indiana.
They are burrowers that inhabit sandy-soiled, open-canopy environs and feed heavily on rodents. Though they are most abundant in sand prairies, they persist in agricultural areas and around human dwellings where cover (boards, sheet metal, etc.) and prey are abundant.
