Bull Snake

​Not All Snakes Are Bad

"Bull Snake! My husband and I were just on a walk around the neighborhood. We live on S. Deframe Court. As we passed our neighbor's house, I heard a rustle over the rocks...much to my dismay, it was a snake. I am deathly afraid of snakes! I yelled that it was a rattlesnake and quickly walked away.

"My husband got his trusty snake-ready walking stick which has a forked head out of the garage and went after the critter. 

"As he was trying to get it into the street, he realized that it was not giving him any attitude nor did it have a rattle or triangular shaped head...it was a bull snake. He was able to pin it down and it was released into the open space...where it belonged. 

"We have noticed several large sized bunnies in the neighborhood and after reading up on this particular species, we found that it likes, among other things, rodents. We figure the bunnies have brought it into the housing areas."  10-1-2014

Snakes make most people uncomfortable but in our area only rattlesnakes are really hazardous.  Rattlesnakes are notable with an arrow-shaped head and its prominent rattle at the tail.  Other snakes may be “creepy” but they’re not going to hurt you.  None of them will cause you harm if you give them a wide berth. 
 
We have fair number of Bull Snakes on our hill.  Their color is similar to a rattlesnake but they have a blunt shaped head and a tapered tail.   Bull Snakes get big and are scary but they’re actually our friends.  They keep the rodent (i.e. mice and voles) population down.  And especially they raid rattle snake dens and eat rattlesnake eggs and will also eat smaller rattlesnakes too. 
 
Below is a picture of a Bull Snake I found on West Ohio Ave between Coors CT and S. Deframe.  Unfortunately it was dead in the middle of the road after someone had purposely run it over.  Please don’t do that.  Its unnecessary and it destroys our animal friend.  If you see one in the roadway, go around, let our friend go and eat some rattlesnakes.  7-1-2016