Bull snakes are carnivorous species that feeds on small mammals like mice, rats, frogs, lizards and rabbits.
Constrictors wrap their bodies around prey and suffocate them until death occurs. They have also been known to consume birds and their eggs.
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Mice
Bull snakes are opportunistic predators, hunting small mammals such as mice and gophers. They will also consume birds and bird eggs, toads, and lizards.
They are found on prairies, savannas and river bluffs. In the summer they hunt for food before hibernating underground during winter.
Bull snakes grow larger and require a wider variety of foods than pre-killed mice. They will also consume other small animals like rabbits and squirrels for sustenance.
Rats
Rats and other small rodents make up a substantial part of the bull snake’s diet. They also enjoy snacking on frogs, lizards, birds, and chicken eggs.
Young bull snakes tend to eat more frequently than adults do, though both species can go long periods without eating due to their slow metabolisms and need for breaking down tough prey pieces in order to digest it.
Feed baby bull snakes frozen and thawed mice to meet their nutritional needs. Provide them with one to two of these meals per week.
Birds
Bull snakes prey on small mammals and birds alike, taking advantage of their prominent rostral (nose) scale to dig through loose soil in search of food. They have an appetite for small animals like mice, but they will also consume birds’ eggs.
They can be found throughout the central United States, including Missouri. They prefer open prairies, sand prairies, old fields, savannas and bluff lands bordered by woodlands.
They are non-venomous and provide a valuable service to humans by controlling rodent populations. Primarily feeding on ground squirrels, but they will also eat mice, rabbits and pocket gophers.
Frogs
Snakes are highly opportunistic predators that can prey on a variety of animals, from rodents and birds to lizards and fish. Some snake species prefer warm-blooded prey such as mice or rats while others feed on cold-blooded frogs, toads, insects and amphibians.
Bull snakes typically feed on small rodents, though they also enjoy frogs and toads. Bull snakes typically swallow their prey whole; however, in certain cases they may use special methods for killing them.
Bull snakes typically prey upon young, non-venomous Garter snakes. Since these snakes tend to be relatively non-threatening and small, they make ideal targets for bull snakes; this explains why many full-grown Garter snakes bear scars from bites from American bull snakes.
Insects
Bull snakes are carnivores that will consume almost anything they can catch and swallow. They typically prey upon small rodents, but also feed on birds and frogs.
They are highly beneficial predators, preying upon large numbers of pocket gophers and ground squirrels that inhabit croplands and grasslands. Landowners no longer need to hire a rodent control company to eradicate these pests from their properties at an expensive expense.
Bull snakes are diurnal creatures found in a variety of habitats, such as prairies, grasslands, open woodlands, farmlands and coniferous forests. They usually burrow or climb rocks for shelter during the winter and enter dormancy with racers, milksnakes and garter snakes (National Park Service 2015).
