Eastern Hognose Snake
Heterodon platirhinos • Order: Squamata; Suborder: Serpentes; Family: Colubridae; Subfamily: Dipsadinae; Genus: Heterodon; Species: Heterodon platirhinos
Eastern North America, ranging from southern Ontario, Canada, through the eastern United States from New Hampshire to southern Florida and west to eastern Texas and Kansas.
Look up Eastern Hognose Snake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Venomous Status
Mildly venomous (Opisthoglyphous / Rear-fanged). They possess enlarged teeth at the rear of the maxilla.
Danger Level
Harmless / Low Risk. They are non-aggressive toward humans and rarely bite, even when handled or displaying defensive behaviors. There is no known human mortality.
Family
Order: Squamata; Suborder: Serpentes; Family: Colubridae; Subfamily: Dipsadinae; Genus: Heterodon; Species: Heterodon platirhinos
Conservation
IUCN Red List: Least Concern. However, they face threats from habitat loss and are often killed by humans who mistake their defensive displays for those of venomous snakes.
Physical Description
Variable coloration with blotches of brown, tan, or gray on a lighter background. Features a thick body, keeled scales, and most distinctively, an upturned (spade-like) rostral scale on the snout. The head is large and distinct from the neck.
Size & Dimensions
The specimen appears to be an adult (approx. 60-70 cm). Adult range is typically 50 to 85 cm, with a maximum record of about 115 cm.
Habitat
Prefers coastal and inland regions with sandy, loose soil for burrowing. Commonly found in open woodlands, pine forests, fields, and forest edges, typically at elevations below 750 meters.
Behavior & Temperament
Diurnal and docile but famous for dramatic defensive displays including neck-flattening (hooding like a cobra), loud hissing, and 'death-feigning' (playing dead by rolling onto its back with mouth open and tongue out).
Diet & Feeding
Specialized toad-eater (Bufophagous). They use their upturned snout to dig up prey and their rear fangs to puncture inflated toads and deliver specialized saliva to neutralize toad toxins.
Reproduction
Oviparous (egg-laying). Females lay clutches of 8 to 40 eggs in sandy soil during early summer (June-July), which hatch in late summer or early autumn.
Venom Profile
The venom is specialized for neutralizing amphibians (toads) and is not considered medically significant to humans; symptoms are usually limited to localized swelling and itching.
Look-alikes
Commonly confused with Pygmy Rattlesnakes (Sistrurus miliarius) or Copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix) due to body shape; distinguished by the unique upturned snout and lack of a rattle or heat pits.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern. However, they face threats from habitat loss and are often killed by humans who mistake their defensive displays for those of venomous snakes.
Cultural Significance
Often called 'puff adders' or 'spreading adders' in folklore. They play a critical ecological role in controlling toad populations and are celebrated by herpetologists for their unique mimicry behaviors.
Notable Features
Possesses a highly specialized adrenal gland to counter toad toxins and exhibits 'thanatosis' (death feigning), one of the most elaborate defensive behaviors in the animal kingdom.