Bull Snake

The bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi) is a large, nonvenomous, colubrid snake. It is a subspecies of the gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer). The bullsnake is one of the largest/longest snakes of North America and the United States, reaching lengths up to 8 ft.

==Etymology== The subspecific name, sayi, is in honor of American naturalist Thomas Say. In Mexico, bullsnakes are called cincuate (/sentli/; Náhuatl: corn, /coatl/; Náhuatl: snake). They are known as bull snakes or bullsnakes because of the deep hissing/rumbling sound they make when nervous, which can be reminiscent of a bellowing bull, as well as their overall defensive display of rearing up like a rattlesnake and rattling their tail in leaves, all of which is a bluff; the snake is not venomous, and rarely bites.