Animal Summary

Maya the zoo's bull snake came in June of 2008 as a donation from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. When she arrived she was little, fitting in the zoo keepers hands, but when she is full grown she could reach up to eight feet long.

Facts

• When threatened the bull snake will imitate a rattlesnake by hissing, creating an S-curve body posture, flattening its head, and vibrating its tail rapidly to create the characteristic rattling noise. This defensive behavior is done to scare away threats not to attack.
• Bull snakes flick their tongues in and out to transfer odor-bearing molecules from the air, water, or ground to the Jacobson's organ.
• The bull snake is a constrictor. When it finds food it will wrap its body around the prey and squeeze it until it's no longer moving. Then the snake turns the food so it can be swallowed head first.

Conservation

The bull snake is a protected wild animal in Wisconsin and cannot be kept unless the proper permits are acquired by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Threats

The main threat to the bull snake population is habitat loss.