Illinois Snake Sightings: Large Snakes Still Active This Fall

Kankakee County, IL – Large snakes may still turn up in yards, fields and natural areas across Illinois this fall, and a recent Kankakee County sighting is an eye-catching example of just how big some native species can become.

According to a Thursday morning post in the Kankakee County Wildlife Facebook group, a large snake identified by the poster as a bullsnake was spotted in Kankakee County. Photos and video show a heavily patterned snake coiled among vegetation and pine needles.

Bullsnakes are native to Illinois and are among the state's largest snakes. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources describes the bullsnake as a state-threatened species, meaning encounters may be memorable but the animals are part of Illinois' natural wildlife rather than escaped exotic snakes.

Bullsnakes are nonvenomous. When threatened, however, they can put on an intimidating defensive display that can include coiling, hissing and vibrating the tail. Their coloration and behavior can sometimes cause people to mistake them for rattlesnakes.

October is also a transition period for Illinois snakes. As temperatures cool, snakes generally become less active and eventually retreat to protected places for the winter. Warm, sunny fall days can still bring activity as cold-blooded reptiles use outside heat to regulate their body temperature.

Illinois has numerous native snake species, ranging from small garter and brown snakes to much larger species. Residents could still encounter snakes around woodlands, prairies, fields, rocks, logs and other suitable habitat before consistently cold weather arrives.

Anyone encountering a large snake should give it space rather than attempt to catch or kill it. Because identification from a photo alone can be uncertain, unfamiliar snakes are best observed from a safe distance.