Bull Snake (Pituophis catenifer sayi)
The bull snake is a large, nonvenomous, colubrid snake. It is a subspecies of the gopher snake. The bull snake is one of the
largest/longest snakes of North America and the United States, reaching lengths up to 8 ft.
Snake Husbandry
Daily Chores
● Fresh water daily
● Spot clean daily
● Spray Daily (Full clean once a month)
● Use F10 Veterinary Disinfectant
Vets and Insurance
● Exotics Vets are not easy to find, here in Brighton we use Coastways in Kemptown as they have an exotic vet called Celine. It is essential you find an exotic vet.
● There is insurance you can get for your reptile through Exotic Direct.
Handling your Snake
When handling your Snake ensure you support its body and ensure your surroundings are safe. Do not handle your snake after feeding. They need to be left alone so they can properly digest their food. Wait a minimum of 2-3 days before handling after feeding.
Handling sessions should be no longer than 45 minutes. Snakes are really curious animals and will try to fit into small spaces so never leave the snake unattended.
Always make sure there are no pets like dogs and cats around when handling your Snake.
Equipment such as Snake Hooks and Feeding tongs are needed when owning snakes.
Snake Diets
Bull snakes eat rodents as their primary source of food. They are carnivores that prefer eating small mammals that have a low chance of hurting them while feeding.
These reptiles are often found near places where mice have made nests, like homes or farms.
Why can I not handle my snake after feeding?
You should never handle your snake just after they’ve eaten, as they can regurgitate their food. As you can imagine, this is even more unpleasant for your snake than it is for you who have to clean up! When your snake regurgitates their food, its esophagus will be irritated by the stomach acid that they bring up with the food. Therefore, if they regurgitate their food, you’ll need to wait for two weeks before feeding again.
How to Feed a Snake
Step 1 – Defrost the prey in hot tap water, this can be in a bucket or mug etc.
Step 2 – Leave the prey to fully defrost (roughly 30 minutes). The size of the prey will affect how long you need to defrost it for.
Step 3 – Check that they prey is soft and completely thawed out.
Step 4 – Discard of the old water, reheat the prey with fresh warm water and then dry off the prey. (This is just so you do not scare the snake with wet food.
Step 5 – Offer the prey to the snake, using feeding tongs and always offer the head to the snake.
If the snake does not take after 20 minutes, leave it in the tank on the cold side. We call this drop feeding.
12 hours later if he hasn’t taken the prey, discard of the prey and try again in a week.
Young/Juvenile snakes – Feed every 5-7 days
Adult Snakes – Feed every 7-10 days
Supplementing your Snake’s Diet
The use of high-quality reptile supplements in the correct amounts at the correct frequencies will help to ensure optimum bone health and skin health for your reptile, and help to avoid a plethora of nutrition-related illnesses such as metabolic bone disease.
Defrosted whole animal items can be offered with EarthPro-A at every feed. CaMg at the 4th within a cycle. For problem shedders, ShedSupport can be used as per the instructions on the packet. As snakes feed in longer periods the dose is built up per feed and over time.
Please use as per the instructions on the packet.
Check out the feeding schedule using the link below https://www.arcadiareptile.com/earthpro/feeding-programme/herbivores/
Minimum rehoming Requirements for a Bull Snake
You can source all enclosures, equipment, electrics and decor from us as we run a shop.
- 6ft x 2ft x 2ft Vivarium (may need upgrading as some individuals can grow up to 8ft+)
- Arcadia Reptile ProT5 Shadedweller-Max Kit £60
- 50W Arcadia Reptile Deep Heat Projector £21
- Dimming thermostat £55
- Arcadia Reptile Ceramic bulb holder and plug £15
- Habistat Heat Cage £15
- Substrate and decor is up to you. We advice a Sand X Soil mix as substrate and a minimum of 2 hides and a water dish.
If you are getting a vivarium from us, we will set it up for you free of charge. If not, when setting up your electrics, ensure both the UVB and heating are on the same side. Fit your UVB on the top front of the viv, behind the runner and heating should centered on the warm side.
