The bull snake is not poisonous, but it does have teeth and will bite if provoked. It is sometimes mistaken for a rattlesnake because of its colors and its defense mechanism – shaking their tail in leaves, producing a sound similar to a rattlesnake shaking its rattles. Bull snakes can be aggressive and should not be handled. Several sightings have occurred across Ellsworth due to higher amounts of precipitation and increased temperatures. (Courtesy photo/www.nps.gov)