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 →Family
Order: Squamata; Suborder: Serpentes; Family: Colubridae; Subfamily: Dipsadinae; Genus: Heterodon; Species: Heterodon platirhinos
Conservation
IUCN Red List: Least Concern. However, they face habitat loss and are often killed by humans who mistake their displays for those of other 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.
Diet & Feeding
Specialized toad-eater (Bufophagous). They use their upturned snout to dig up prey and puncture inflated toads.
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.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern. However, they face habitat loss and are often killed by humans who mistake their displays for those of other 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 and exhibits 'thanatosis' (death feigning), one of the most elaborate displays in the animal kingdom.