Eastern Hognose Snake
Heterodon platirhinos
Summary 4
Heterodon platirhinos, commonly known as the eastern hog-nosed snake, spreading adder, or deaf adder, is a harmless colubrid species endemic to North America. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Description 5
NOT medically significant to humans. Keeled scales, broad head on an equally-broad neck, round pupils. Stocky body is tan with brown blotches, two large black spots on either side of a flattened neck. Pointed, upturned snout. Typically 20 to 33 inches (51 to 83cm) long. (J. R. Dixon and J. E. Werler, Texas Snakes: A Field Guide, University of Texas Press, 2000.)
NOTE: Hognose snakes are rear-fanged and are capable of injecting a mild venom that is not medically significant to humans. When harassed, individuals may feign death in a convincing display.
Appearance 6
50 to 115 centimeters long. They have thick bodies. They are gray, brown, tan, olive or pink with dark, alternating blotches down their backs and usually two obvious blotches behind their heads. Their underside is pale. Their heads are wide and their snouts are upturned, hence their name. They are nonvenomous.
Geographic range 7
Heterodon platirhinos is found from eastern-central Minnesota, and Wisconsin to southern Ontario, Canada and extreme southern New Hampshire, south to southern Florida and west to eastern Texas and western Kansas.
Common names 7
Eastern hog-nosed snake, spreading adder, spread'em outer, hog-nosed snake, adder, bastard rattlesnake, black adder, black blowing viper, black hog-nosed snake, black viper snake, blauser, blower, blowing adder, blowing snake, blow(ing) viper, blow snake, buckwheat-nose snake, calico snake, checkered adder, checquered adder, chunk head, common hog-nosed snake, common spreading adder, deaf adder, eastern hognose snake, flat-head, flat-head(ed) adder, hay-nose snake, hissing adder, hissing snake, hog-nosed adder, hog-nosed rattler, hog-nose snake, hog-nosed viper, hissing viper, (mountain) moccasin, North American adder, North American hog-nosed snake, pilot, poison viper, puff(ing) adder, red snake, rock adder, rossel bastard, sand adder, sand viper, spotted (spreading) adder, spread nelly, spread-head moccasin, spread-head snake, spread-head viper, flat-head adder (spreading) viper.
Conservation status 7
This species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCNRed List of Threatened Species (Year assessed: 2007). However, it is a species of increasing conservation concern, especially in the northeastern part of its range. Of the five states in the northeast U.S. where the eastern hognose snake occurs, it currently has "listed" conservation status in four (Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island). Noted declines are believed to be the result of direct anthropogenic pressures including habitat loss and fragmentation, road mortality, environmental degradation, and intentional killing.
Sources and Credits
- (c) USFWSmidwest, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmidwest/26958191023/
- (c) Lee Elliott, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Lee Elliott
- (c) 116916927065934112165, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by 116916927065934112165, https://picasaweb.google.com/116916927065934112165/IdylwildBiodiversity?authkey=Gv1sRgCJK5hZTO_p_7YA#6025323275952510386
- Adapted by Desmon M Dunn from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterodon_platirhinos
- (c) Amber Leung, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/494755
- (c) gburg2016, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/384143
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_hognose_snake
