Eastern Hognose Snake
Heterodon platirhinos • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Dipsadinae, Genus: Heterodon, Species: Heterodon platirhinos
Eastern United States, from southern New Hampshire and southern Ontario to southern Florida and west to eastern Texas and Kansas.
Look up Eastern Hognose Snake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Venomous Status
Rear-fanged (opisthoglyphous) and mildly venomous, though not medically significant to humans.
Danger Level
Harmless - Extremely low risk; they almost never bite humans, even when highly provoked, preferring elaborate defensive displays.
Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Dipsadinae, Genus: Heterodon, Species: Heterodon platirhinos
Conservation
IUCN Least Concern, though populations are declining in some northern areas due to habitat loss and decline of amphibian prey.
Physical Description
Thick-bodied with a characteristic upturned (spade-like) snout. Highly variable color/pattern; this specimen shows a tan/grey background with dark rectangular blotches. Visible keeled scales and a wide head.
Size & Dimensions
The specimen in the jar appears to be a juvenile, likely 15-25cm long. Adults typically reach 50-80cm, with a maximum record of about 115cm.
Habitat
Prefer areas with sandy soil for burrowing, open woodlands, pine forests, fields, and coastal dunes. Highly dependent on habitats that support toad populations.
Behavior & Temperament
Famous for dramatic defensive displays including neck-spreading (mimicking a cobra), loud hissing, and eventually 'playing dead' (thanatosis) by flipping on its back with mouth open and tongue out.
Diet & Feeding
Specialized carnivore primarily feeding on toads (Anaxyrus spp.). Uses enlarged rear teeth to deflate toads that puff up as a defense mechanism and possesses specialized livers to handle toad toxins.
Reproduction
Oviparous; females lay clutches of 8-40 eggs in early summer (June-July), which hatch in late summer or autumn.
Venom Profile
Mildly toxic saliva specifically adapted for neutralizing toad toxins; lacks a high-pressure delivery system and is harmless to humans.
Look-alikes
Often confused with Pygmy Rattlesnakes (Sistrurus miliarius) or Copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix) due to blotched patterns and thick bodies, but the upturned snout is diagnostic.
Conservation Status
IUCN Least Concern, though populations are declining in some northern areas due to habitat loss and decline of amphibian prey.
Cultural Significance
Often called 'puff adders' or 'spreading adders' in American folklore; largely misunderstood and frequently killed due to their frightening defensive displays despite being harmless.
Notable Features
Possesses a specialized rostral scale for digging and exhibits one of the most complex behavioral 'death-feigning' displays in the reptile world.