Eastern Hognose Snake
Heterodon platirhinos • Order: Squamata; Suborder: Serpentes; Family: Colubridae; Subfamily: Dipsadinae; Genus: Heterodon; Species: Heterodon platirhinos
Found throughout North America including the eastern and central United States, ranging from southern Ontario, Canada, south to Florida and west to Texas and Minnesota.
Look up Eastern Hognose Snake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata; Suborder: Serpentes; Family: Colubridae; Subfamily: Dipsadinae; Genus: Heterodon; Species: Heterodon platirhinos
Conservation
Least Concern (IUCN). However, localized populations are threatened by habitat loss, road mortality, and persecution due to their cobra-like defensive behavior.
Physical Description
Highly variable in color. This specimen is a melanistic (solid black) morph. They have a characteristic thick, stocky body, an upturned snout (rostral scale), and keeled scales. The head is wider than the neck, especially when the snake is puffing itself up in defense.
Size & Dimensions
The specimen in the image appears to be an adult, approximately 24 to 30 inches long. Adults typically range from 20 to 33 inches (50 to 86 cm), with a maximum record of 45 inches.
Habitat
Found in areas with sandy soils, including woodlands, coastal areas, and fields. They prefer loose soil for burrowing and are often found in elevations from sea level to approximately 2,500 feet.
Diet & Feeding
Specialized toad-eaters. They use their upturned snout to dig up toads and possess enlarged rear teeth to puncture 'inflated' toads and neutralize their toxins. They also consume frogs and occasionally salamanders.
Reproduction
Oviparous (egg-laying). Females lay clutches of 8 to 40 eggs in early summer, which hatch in late summer or early autumn. There is no parental care after laying.
Look-alikes
Melanistic individuals can be confused with Black Racers (Coluber constrictor) or Charcoal phase Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus). Distinguished by the stockier build and the unique upturned snout anatomy.
Conservation Status
Least Concern (IUCN). However, localized populations are threatened by habitat loss, road mortality, and persecution due to their cobra-like defensive behavior.
Cultural Significance
Commonly known as the 'puff adder' or 'hissing sand snake' in folklore. They play a vital role in controlling toad populations and are an iconic species in North American herpetology due to their unique behaviors.
Notable Features
Heterodon platirhinos is biologically unique for its resistance to Bufotoxins produced by toads and its elaborate 'acting' skills, which serves as one of the most complex defensive displays in the reptile world.