Eastern Hognose Snake
Heterodon platirhinos
Eastern Hognose Snake 2
Eastern Hognose Snakes are common at the Arboretum, especially in the leaf litter of the forest. These snakes have extremely variable coloration. The background color ranges from pale brown to pinkish red to black, and the spots may be a variety of dark colors. However, the two large black spots behind the head are present in almost every color variation (although they are hidden in the black morph). Hognose snakes have a blunt, turned-up nose that gives them their name. Their keeled scales give them a rough appearance. They specialize in eating toads, but will also eat frogs and other small prey. When threatened, hognose snakes will flatten their heads like a cobra - this behavior has given rise to many nicknames, including "puff adder" and "deaf adder." They also vibrate their tails to imitate a rattlesnake. If intimidation doesn't work, they switch to playing dead, flipping over on their backs and releasing a foul smell to convince predators to leave them alone. Don't be fooled by these dramatic displays; Eastern Hognose Snakes are not venomous to humans.
Sources and Credits
- (c) L A, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/26485565@N03/2485697384
- Adapted by hancnaturalist from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterodon_platirhinos
More Info
iNat Map
| Pattern | bands, mottled, spots, stripes |
|---|---|
| Color | black, brown, gray, orange, pink, red, white |
| Texture | rough |
