This not so little bullsnake was sunning itself in freshly cut alfalfa hay. You have to be able to identify snakes with a BAC (Blood Adrenaline Content) of 3.9, because the adrenaline will be flowing when you almost step on a snake, waaaay before you have time to distinguish between the bullsnake and rattlesnake.
Encountering bullsnakes and rattlesnakes is common if you are out and about in the summer countryside of Wyoming. In this case, my dogs gave the bullsnake a brief warning bark and sniff before I got there, so I was spared the adrenaline spike. My personal rule of thumb is that if the snake (of any kind) isn’t in my yard, house, or barn- leave it alone. I’ve even been known to let a bullsnake reside in my yard since she seemed to be of a particularly calm temperament. They eat rodents after all.
You will find a handful of ways to distinguish between bullsnakes and rattlesnakes with a quick google search, but my personal experience is that they are about the same size, live in the same places, and the variation in their colors and markings overlap. Identification based on color patterns doesn’t seem to register on my brain in the first split second of a surprise encounter.
Yes, the rattlesnake has rattles and the bullsnake does not, but the bullsnake can convincingly mimic the sound of rattles, so that’s not an immediate distinguishing characteristic when under the influence of adrenaline; or when you can hear the rattling, but can’t locate the snake out on a brushy, rocky trail; or out in freshly cut, deep hay.
To me, the most distinguishing characteristics are the shape of their heads and eyes. The rattlesnake has a wide jaw that narrows sharply into the neck. It also has “slits” for eyes, technically, vertical pupils. Bullsnakes have slender heads with a smooth transition into the body and round eyes.
When your heart rate goes down a little, you might venture closer to see if the tail has rattles. Most of the time the rattlesnake will proudly hold its rattles up, but the bullsnake will hold its tail lower. This isn’t foolproof, though, because a juvenile rattlesnake might not have any rattles.
Two fascinating details about the bullsnake1: First, it captures prey by constriction, not biting, like its venomous cousin. Main prey consists of mice, voles, and small rabbits. If it follows prey down a burrow hole it might maneuver past the prey and squeeze it up against the wall of the burrow to kill it. An adaptation of constriction?
Secondly, bullsnakes and rattlesnakes may den together in the winter. This communal denning can also include racers, milk snakes, and garter snakes. I’ve heard people say that if you have bullsnakes in your area leave them alone because they “keep the rattlers out,” but I have never seen any documentation of this, and the communal denning makes me doubt it even more.
If you are out in the mountains or prairies in Wyoming in the summer, it’s good to know a few things to keep you safe regarding rattlesnakes. Based on what I have been told by wilderness rangers and emergency medical folks, most rattlesnake bites happen when people place their hands or feet in places they cannot see. Such as when scrambling across a hillside, or when sitting down for a break. Be particularly careful about sitting down on boulders or logs. Take a good look around before choosing your rest site. When trekking in remote areas, listen. Be aware. Go slow. And for goodness’ sake, don’t take away one of your best survival tools by hiking with earbuds in.
One of the most fascinating talks I have heard about wilderness safety was by a Wyoming Life Flight nurse. She had attended medical emergencies in wilderness areas for twenty-five plus years. She reminded us that a rattlesnake bite, even in a remote area, is not necessarily a death sentence. Up to 30% of rattlesnake bites experienced by humans have no venom transfer. She had even seen venomous bites where the person remained calm, walked out of a remote area, and got medical care hours later, and they recovered.
She said that all the treatment methods involving cutting the bite site, “sucking the venom out,” or applying tourniquets, were no longer recommended. The most important thing you can do is remain calm. Remain calm and get to a medical facility. The more I experience about life in general, the more I realize the power of our mental attitude and self-talk on our physical body. The venomous snake bite scenario seems to be a prime example.
Rattlesnake photo courtesy of National Park Service
Wyoming Life 