"I'm Keeping My Eyes on You!" The bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi) is a nonvenomous native to most of the central United States. It eats rodents and therefore competes with poisonous rattlesnakes for the same food source. Therefore, it is a welcome guest to those familiar with it's benefits. Although it is non-poisonous, it does put on a rather fierce show of striking, hissing, and vibrating its tail in the grass or leaves in an effort to mimic a rattlesnake. All it really wants is to be allowed a safe retreat and should be left alone to keep the rodent population in check.