Bull Snake

[Kettennatter]

We went to the Reptile Expo in Columbus yesterday. The wife wanted a bull snake since she saw one at a local breeder. She liked the texture of the semi-keeled scales.

We ended up picking up a normal phase female about a foot in length for next to nothing. She has a kink in her tail near the vent, but we are not going to breed her anyhow. I will try to take some pictures today.

[lady_bug87]

I have a white sided. As far as colubrids go they're pretty neat and mine is a voracious eater very hilarious when they get pissy.

[Corey209]

I love the red bull snakes.

[TragicTaste]

Bull snakes are awesome, I like their fiesty little attitudes.

[Kettennatter]

Here are pictures of her. She looks like she is starting her shed cycle, and didn't care to pose a whole lot:

http://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/t416/kettennatter/bull_small_zps1f26e662.jpg

And here is the kink in her tail that I mentioned earlier.

http://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/t416/kettennatter/bull_kink_zps8447dbd1.jpg

So far her attitude is extremely calm, curious, and she can be handled very easily.

[TragicTaste]

She is going to be beautiful after she sheds.

[Kettennatter]

She is going to be beautiful after she sheds.

I hope so. Did anybody take a look at the kink, would that worry you in a female that I don't intend to breed?

[Corey209]

I hope so. Did anybody take a look at the kink, would that worry you in a female that I don't intend to breed?

Looks like it's behind the vent, I don't see what harm it could cause.

[Lankyrob]

Looks like it's behind the vent, I don't see what harm it could cause.

Ditto :) :)

[SpOoKy]

You are going to love her. I have 2 of them and they are fantastic snakes :)

[Kettennatter]

Yes, the kink is just behind the vent. I was concerned if anything big needed to pass, such as eggs. Otherwise I wasn't too concerned. Picking her up was like picking up the odd-looking puppy at the pound. ;)

I was also told that bull snakes are more or less garbage disposals. Based on today's feeding response, this seems to be true.

[Kettennatter]

Her feeding response is quite impressive. Last night she lunged out of my hand and struck the f/t hard. I really need to take more pics now that she has shed. ;)

[Terranaut]

I have a pit as well (gopher but very very similar) and her feeding response is second to none. It gets stronger as they age. I have to remove Skittles water bowl before feeding. She launches herself throwing substrate everywhere including on me and the floor. Its awesome. Mine has rescently started the big HISSSS when she doesn't want anything to do with me. Most of the time I just open her viv and grab her. Love my pit and you will love yours.

[Kettennatter]

Yes, mine is a different snake during and after feeding. Normally she handles just as easy as a corn. But that changes quickly once it's feeding time.

How old was your when it started to hiss? I'm kinda looking forward to that. ;)

[Terranaut]

About 16-18 months. It's very funny.

[SpOoKy]

My one hissed from the first day we got him, the white side has never hissed.

[Kettennatter]

Oh, I will keep an eye out for the hiss. She has been really mellow when I wasn't feeding her, so I'll see if there is some defensive posturing in her. ;)

[lady_bug87]

Mine does the cobra head thing too

[SpOoKy]

I have to feed Jaws last because if I feed him first he gobbles it down then does the cobra stance and crazy hiss the whole time I am there. He will continuously strike at the glass until I leave.

[lady_bug87]

If we walk in the room and Scooter sees us she starts the tail rattle then if you have to mess in her Viv she starts the hissing

[Kettennatter]

Just had one more quick question for you bullsnake owners: My bullsnake has been a pleasure, so far. She is calm when being handled, sheds well, feeds well, and generally a very low-maintenance kind of snake.

She is also growing at a steady pace, and I’m feeding her mice about the same diameter as the snake, leaving a decent bump. Still, she is somewhat of a garbage disposal. From start to finish she just took 45 seconds to feed on yesterday’s F/T. I currently feed her twice a week, as I normally do with my growing colubrids.

Would you recommend increasing the size of her F/Ts, or just stay the course as she is exhibiting slow but constant growth?

[smy_749]

If shes still small, it should be a fast rate, not slow. The general rule is 1.5 times the the thickness of the thickest part of the body. I think you could go bigger, and try to switch to rat pups, you will also notice an increase in growth. If you have a picture that would help get an idea of size, but 45 seconds is pretty fast.

[Kettennatter]

I do have pictures, but none that would easil indicate her size. (She's about 3 ft. at the moment.) The factor of 1.5 would allow for a somewhat larger F/T. I have rat pups that I can try, so I will give it a shot in a few days.

[Terranaut]

Mine eats rats up to 2 times her girth.

[Kettennatter]

Well then, seems like I'm not challenging mine enough. Let's see what happens. ;)

[Terranaut]

Mine is still growing so I feed her as much as she likes. She is about 4' and gets 1 small rat every 7 days. I love the killer strike pits have. Scares the crap out of my wife ;)

[Kettennatter]

I took the smallest rat pup I could find, and she took it, but she was laboring quite a bit. This was two days ago, and the bump is still quite noticeable. Let's see how this progresses. ;)

[Kettennatter]

Unfortunately she regurgitated last night. Even though the prey item was maybe 1.5x the snake's girth, it must have been too much for her. I will switch back to the previous schedule until she is a little larger.

[Terranaut]

Wow mine eats larger prey and has never regurged anything.

[exwizard]

Just had one more quick question for you bullsnake owners: My bullsnake has been a pleasure, so far. She is calm when being handled, sheds well, feeds well, and generally a very low-maintenance kind of snake.

She is also growing at a steady pace, and I’m feeding her mice about the same diameter as the snake, leaving a decent bump. Still, she is somewhat of a garbage disposal. From start to finish she just took 45 seconds to feed on yesterday’s F/T. I currently feed her twice a week, as I normally do with my growing colubrids.

Would you recommend increasing the size of her F/Ts, or just stay the course as she is exhibiting slow but constant growth?

Unfortunately she regurgitated last night. Even though the prey item was maybe 1.5x the snake's girth, it must have been too much for her. I will switch back to the previous schedule until she is a little larger.I'm sorry to hear that. Mine eat fairly well as well. Luna is an '09 female that is currently on Small rats and Sol is an '08 male that is currently on Medium rats. I haven't had these snakes very long but they seem to be doing ok. Sol was a little underweight when I got him and he is gaining back to what he's supposed to weigh. If it were me in your position, I would do the same as what you're already doing. It'll happen soon enough. :)

[Aaron_S]

Unfortunately she regurgitated last night. Even though the prey item was maybe 1.5x the snake's girth, it must have been too much for her. I will switch back to the previous schedule until she is a little larger.

Double check your temps.

Bull snakes are found in quite high temperature areas so it could be that yours are too low to digest a meal of that size.

[Ryodraco]

I don't want to hijack the thread so let me know if I'm out of line here, but given this does concern bullsnakes it seemed appropriate to ask here rather than make a new topic.

Namely I hear many recommendations regarding them, even recommending them over favorites like corn snakes, due to how active and hardy they are. However, unless one is able/willing to build their own terrarium, isn't getting a enclosure large enough to keep an adult bullsnake happy a potential problem that you don't have with the smaller varieties of kingsnake and corn snake?

From what I've read they are snakes that like to use their space, and yet my searches have found little in the way of terrariums large enough that cost less than five hundred dollars. The Penn Plax one is pretty attractive but at 47 x 20 x 20 inches isn't it still a bit small for any bullsnake reaching six feet or more in length? Yes one could use a aquarium, but that removes the benefits of front-opening doors and leads you needing to create a top that a powerful snake can't break through.

I'm just curious what those advocating bullsnakes as easy snakes would recommend as good housing for them? Do all of you use cages you build yourselves, or have you found a brand of terrarium that works well for you?

[Terranaut]

My Pit is fine in her 4x2x16".

[Ryodraco]

My Pit is fine in her 4x2x16".
Yeah I forgot to point out that I could be just completely mistaken about their space needs. I just keep reading that "bigger is better" concerning bullsnake enclosures. :nerd:

[h3h]

I like these snakes, especially the hypos. Good looking snake you got there!

- h3

[Kettennatter]

Double check your temps.

Bull snakes are found in quite high temperature areas so it could be that yours are too low to digest a meal of that size.

Just did. The warm hide is at 93 degrees, and the snake is currently in the cold hide, which has a temperature of 79 degrees. The lowest ground temperature in the enclosure is a 75 degrees.

The snake goes back and forth between both hides, and I could only think that it possibly spent too much time on the cold side. But overall her metabolism has been rather high, very similar to my king snakes, requiring me to clean the enclosure frequently.

She just took a small mouse in her usual 60 second time frame. I will see how that goes.

[Kettennatter]

I'm sorry to hear that. Mine eat fairly well as well. Luna is an '09 female that is currently on Small rats and Sol is an '08 male that is currently on Medium rats. I haven't had these snakes very long but they seem to be doing ok. Sol was a little underweight when I got him and he is gaining back to what he's supposed to weigh. If it were me in your position, I would do the same as what you're already doing. It'll happen soon enough. :)

Those are pretty. Mine is a normal phase, one of those $15 reptile expo specials. She has been gaining weight at a steady pace, so far. I will simply increase the F/T size more gradually.

[Ryodraco]

My Pit is fine in her 4x2x16".
That's still bigger than the Penn Plax though. Is it a terrarium you built or is it a terrarium that can be purchased?

Do you think that all but the largest bullsnakes could do fine in the 47 x 20 x 20" Penn Plax? If not then what would you recommend?

[Terranaut]

My gopher snake (almost the same) is in the top viv.
I am not familiar with the cage your asking about. Mine is great in hers.
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j9/terranaut0/photo-680.jpg

As long as it is a snake cage and not a fish tank it should be ok.
Albinos are cool too.
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j9/terranaut0/photo-1089.jpg

[Ryodraco]

I am not familiar with the cage your asking about. Mine is great in hers
Just to be clear, this is what it looks like. Course I would cover up the sides with some kind of background for it to feel more secure, but I like having the top screen open to let in more light and air, at least for those that don't require very high humidity. Again the dimensions are stated to be 47 x 20 x 20"