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| any of several large North American constrictors of the genus Pituophis, as the gopher snake and pine snake, that feed chiefly upon small rodents. |
| bull snake n. Any of several large, nonvenomous North American snakes of the genus Pituophis that have yellow and brown or black markings and feed chiefly on rodents. Also called gopher snake. |
bull snake
North American constrictor snake of the family Colubridae. These snakes are called bull snakes over much of their range; however, in the western United States they are often called gopher snakes. Bull snakes are rather heavy-bodied, small-headed, and may reach 2.5 metres (8 feet) in length. Typical coloration is yellowish brown or creamy, with dark blotches. The nose shield is enlarged for digging. They are related to pine snakes (P. melanoleucus) of the eastern and southern United States and the Mexican bull snake (P. deppei) of north central and western Mexico
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