Eastern Hognose Snake
Heterodon platirhinos
A harmless-to-humans, theatrical colubrid famous for flattening its neck like a cobra and playing dead when threatened.
- Venomous?
- Mildly venomous
- Adult length
- 0.5-1.0 m (1.6-3.3 ft)
- Range
- Eastern and central United States
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Overview
The Eastern Hognose Snake is a well-known North American colubrid famous for its elaborate defensive displays, including flattening its neck into a hood-like shape, hissing loudly, and, if further provoked, rolling over and feigning death.
Despite its dramatic bluffing behavior, it poses essentially no threat to people; its mild rear-fanged venom is specialized for subduing toads and is not medically significant to humans.
How to identify it
- Highly variable coloration: gray, brown, olive, yellow, orange, or nearly black
- Blotched pattern along the back, though some individuals are unpatterned
- Distinctly upturned, shovel-like snout used for digging
- Stout body with keeled scales
- Round pupils
- Distinguished from vipers by its upturned nose, round pupils, and lack of a triangular viper-like head shape
Habitat & range
Found in sandy or well-drained soils across fields, woodlands, and open areas throughout the eastern and central United States, often near toad populations.
Behavior, diet & reproduction
Diurnal, specializing in eating toads, which it digs out of soil using its upturned snout. When threatened, it hisses, spreads its neck like a cobra, and may fake death by rolling onto its back with mouth open. Oviparous, laying eggs in summer.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Eastern Hognose Snake dangerous?
No, it is essentially harmless to humans; its mild rear-fanged venom is adapted for subduing toads, not for defense against people.
Why does it flatten its neck?
It spreads its neck and hisses loudly as a bluff to appear more threatening, mimicking a cobra.
Does it really play dead?
Yes, if hissing and hooding fail to deter a threat, it will roll over, go limp, and open its mouth as if dead.
What does it eat?
Primarily toads, which it locates and digs up using its upturned snout.
Eastern Hognose Snake guides
In-depth guides for identifying and understanding Eastern Hognose Snake.
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