Bull snakes, copperheads, and corn snakes are common throughout central and eastern North America. They writhe wherever there are squirrels to crush (bull snake), mice to poison (copperhead), or rats in the corn (corn snake). When compared, the unique features of each of these animals become even more pronounced.

At 5-8ft (1.5-2.4m) in adulthood, the bull snake is the largest of the three, while the copperhead is the shortest at 2-3ft (0.6- 0.9m). Making up for this, the copperhead is the trio’s only venomous reptile. Corn snakes can be useful to humans in that they feed upon grain-infesting rats and mice.

The above merely brushes the surface of these snakes’ characteristics. There is ever so much more to learn. Let’s jump in and distinguish contrasts between these three.

About the Bull Snake

The bull snake makes for a fearsome sight. It is long and thick. And because many are beige with brown spots, they can easily be mistaken for rattlesnakes. Yet for humans, the bull snake is mostly harmless. In fact, when a bull snake encounters a human, it will do all it can to retreat.

Habitat and Behavior

Bull snakes cover vast territories of North America. These reptiles have been seen as far north as Saskatchewan and as far south as Mexico. They are all over U.S. plains states such as the Dakotas, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, and Montana.

You’ll find them in the prairies, the deserts, the woods. When it comes to environments, this is not a choosy snake. It will go wherever there is food to crush with its thick, scaly body.

Seeing one of these snakes will probably make you jump a mile. Your first thought is bound to be of poisonous rattlers, the bites of which can cause organ failure and death. But while the bull snake, with its brown splotches over a wide body, looks like a rattler, it is not poisonous.

Indeed, bull snakes kill their prey by crushing, not biting. They feed mainly on rodents such as rats, mice, and squirrels. They’ll also go after birds and nest eggs.

Do bull snakes know they look like rattlesnakes? Perhaps. When threatened, these snakes mimic the rattler’s behavior, hissing through their windpipe, where a small piece of tissue vibrates with passing air, making a rattling sound. They also act like rattlesnakes by twisting their bodies into a defensive S shape.

What gives the game away is that bull snakes, unlike rattlers, always keep their tails to the ground. Still, it will try to tell you: Back off! I’m a rattlesnake! In any case, I’m not about to ask for proof by letting myself be bitten.

Hibernation

As with many snakes, the bull snake hibernates during the cold months of winter. If the climate is especially cold, you can expect this snake to burrow deep and not show its face for up to six months.

When it doesn’t feel like doing all that burrowing, the bull snake uses gopher tunnels (much to the chagrin of that beast), staying as an unwelcome guest until April or May, when it once more emerges to spread its presence over the countryside.

Mating

When it comes time to mate, the male bull snake does not buy flowers for the female or ask her out for a Cherry Coke. Instead, mating takes place once a year, usually in May, with the females laying eggs in July.

Two or more males may compete for a female through means of a wrestling match. They twist about on the ground, with one attempting to pin down the head of another. The victorious male claims his trophy bride while the loser lives to fight another day.

A “clutch” of female eggs can be as little as 3 or as many as 20. The female will dig out her own hole to lay eggs (no chivalry from the champion wrestler, sorry). In late summer or early fall, the young will hatch when, like most snakes, they are immediately independent of the mother.

About the Copperhead

In terms of length, the copperhead snake may not look intimidating. Its appearance, however—reddish brown with brown and black spots—sets off alarm bells. Or at least it should, for the copperhead carries a venomous bite. The bite is not lethal to humans, but I still recommend that anyone bitten seek medical attention.

Habitat and Behavior

Copperheads—sometimes referred to as eastern or northern copperheads—occupy almost all of the United States, along with parts of Mexico. Like the bull snake, the copperhead gets along just fine in warm temperate climates, though it seems happiest in deciduous forests.

This snake is not choosy at the dinner table. It will hunt and eat insects, lizards, mice, rabbits, and even turtles. And because it is a pit viper, the copperhead is equipped with heat-sensory organs between the eye and nostril. These organs detect the heat of nearby prey—a bit like the predator in that old Schwarzenegger movie. From detection comes the pounce and the bite.

Hibernation

During the spring and fall, copperheads are day snakes. In summer, they become nocturnal, with a liking for humid nights just after a rain. In winter, the copperhead hibernates.

When hibernation time arrives, this snake will find a hole that extends below the frost line. Just about any hole will do so long as it’s deep enough. If a copperhead enjoys a den well enough, it will come back the following winter for another stay.

Mating

The male copperhead is ready to mate at two years—the female, three years. The mating season comes in late spring and sometimes again in early fall.

The females do not lay eggs. Instead, they give birth to live young after about 110 days of incubation. The young are independent at birth—this is true with almost every kind of snake, though some pythons and rattlers buck the trend.

Female copperheads give birth to about 10 babies at a time, each with a bright yellow tip on its tail that it wriggles to attract prey.

About the Corn Snake

The corn snake can grow up to 6ft (1.8m) long. Some are copper in color with dark red blotches. Others are a bright shade of orange, also with red spots—or in some cases, stripes. The spots are bordered by a black ring.

Corn snakes get their name from their habit of hanging around grain stores to catch rats and mice. With this trait at least, they are quite helpful to humans.

Habitat and Behavior

You’ll find corn snakes in the southeastern and central United States. They like fields, forest clearings, and abandoned buildings, though this does not necessarily make them antisocial. 

This breed of snake is actually a very popular pet, and since its bite is not poisonous, it can be domesticated for handling.

Like the bull snake, corn snakes are constrictors, crushing many of the same kinds of prey. These include rats, mice, squirrels, and birds.

This snake is not fond of the sun, choosing to hide out during the day and emerge at night. This similarity with the copperhead often gets it mistaken for such. A corn snake that looks like a copperhead—its scales come in so many different color patterns that a chance resemblance is almost a given—can be distinguished by a tiny stripe extending from the back of its eye to the corner of its jaw.

Brumation

Hibernation is rare for corn snakes, but they will brumate. For a couple of weeks during the winter, they will slow down, stop eating, and drink only sparing sips of water. Brumation is done by reptiles so their bodies can store energy for the following year.

Before it brumates, the corn snake will eat more than usual before seeking a dark, quiet place to relax. Tree stumps work for this, as do caves, under porches, or in between rocks.

After brumation, the corn snake is ready to mate.

Mating

From the age of two onward, the corn snake can mate. It happens in the spring, when the male will line up its body next to the female. 

The female corn snake lays her eggs anywhere from four to six weeks after mating. Eight weeks after that, the eggs hatch independent young. For every clutch, you can expect about 20 eggs.

Comparing the Snakes

Breaking down the three snakes, we get the following:

• The bull snake and the corn snake kill prey by constriction, while the copperhead is a venomous biter.
• Bull snakes and corn snakes can be kept as pets—the copperhead cannot (or at least it’s not wise).
• The bull snake and copperhead hibernate, whereas the corn snake prefers to brumate.
• Copperheads give birth to live young.
• Bull snakes and corn snakes lay eggs.
• Bull snakes are the largest of the three snakes, growing up to 8ft (2.4m) long.
• Of the three snakes, only the copperhead is venomous.

Conclusion

All three snakes occupy the same territory in the United States and parts of Mexico. Almost 3,000 people in the U.S. are bitten by copperheads every year. But though that snake is poisonous, its bite is rarely fatal (to humans, that is). Bull snakes and corn snakes prefer to avoid humans unless domesticated. All of this goes to show us how different and alike snakes can be.