Hogsmeade? Try Hognose
Hello All and Happy 2025! This is the Year of the Snake, so why not start the year with a post about one of my favorite groups of snakes? If there were an Oscar for “Best On-Screen Death,” it would undoubtedly go to the beloved hognose snake. Let’s dive in and learn more about one of the cutest snakes out there!
What is a hognose snake?
Hognose snakes refer to a group of unrelated snakes that share a signature feature: an upturned nose called a rostral scale. These snakes come in a stunning variety of colors and patterns but are often sandy-colored. Their size ranges widely, with the southern hognose measuring just 12–21 inches long, while the Madagascar giant hognose can grow up to 6 feet. Lifespan depends on the species and habitat. Southern hognose snakes have the shortest lifespan at about 9 years, but most others live an average of 14 years in the wild and up to 20 years in zoological settings.
Where are hognose snakes found?
Hognose snakes are found in three main regions: the U.S. and northern Mexico, Madagascar, and South America. These snakes thrive in sandy or gravelly soils, as they are natural burrowers. Loose, well-drained soil is their ideal habitat.
What do hognose snakes eat?
Most hognose snakes primarily eat rodents, lizards, eggs, and insects. However, the eastern hognose is a bit of a specialist—it feeds almost exclusively on amphibians like frogs and salamanders, with a strong preference for toads.
How are baby hognose snakes made?
In the spring, females release pheromones to attract males. Mating can last up to three days, and females may mate with multiple partners throughout the season. Afterward, they lay a clutch of 8–40 eggs, sometimes in communal nesting sites—pretty fascinating behavior! The eggs are laid in shallow nests, where they are incubated by the sun. That’s where snake parenting ends—after laying the eggs, the female moves on to live her best life. After 50–60 days, the eggs hatch into strong, independent hatchlings that don’t require any parental care.
What are hognose snakes’ superpowers?
Hognose snakes have many fascinating traits, but their flair for drama truly sets them apart. When threatened, they start by mimicking their distant relative, the cobra, raising their heads and flattening their necks (yes, snakes do have necks!). If that doesn’t work, they fake strikes to intimidate potential predators. North American hognose snakes take things up a notch with an act called thanatosis, or playing dead. They theatrically flip onto their backs, throw their heads back, hang their tongues out, and even defecate to complete the scene. These snakes are dedicated to the art of the dramatic death. Naturally, I’ll share a video of this later—every hognose deserves an Oscar for their performance.
How many species of hognose snakes are there?
There are three unrelated genera of snakes that make up the hognose group. The only thing they have in common? That adorable upturned nose. I won’t have a range map below, but these guys generally live exactly where their names suggest.
Science Time!!!! (Che-hoo)
Hognose are in three genus
Heterodon, found in the United States and northern Mexico
Mexican hognose snake, Heterodon kennerlyi
Western or Plains hognose snake, Heterodon nasicus
Gloyd’s hognose snake, Heterodon nasicus gloydi
Eastern hognose snake, Heterodon platirhinos
Southern hognose snake, Heterodon simus Vulnerable
Leioheterodon, found on Madagascar
Speckled hognose snake, Leioheterdon geayi
Malagasy giant hognose snake, Leioheterdon madagascariensis
Blonde hognose snake, Leioheterdon modestus
Lystrophis found in South America
South American hognose snake, Lystrophis dorbignyi
Jan’s hognose snake, Lystrophis histricus
Tricolor hognose snake, Lystrophis pulcher
Ringed hognose snake, Lystrophis semicinctus
Lystrophis matogrossensis
Lystrophis nattereri
All but one species of hognose snake (Southern) has been labeled as Least Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. The populations are stable which is great. They do have some issues with habitat destruction and the general feelings people have about snakes, but that’s it. Hognose snakes are popular in the pet trade as well and can be good pets with appropriate care. The pet trade has icky people in it no matter if it’s puppies, snakes, fish…always look at the background of who you are buying from (getting off my soapbox now).
Resources:
Hammerson, G.A. 2007. Heterodon platirhinos. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2007: e.T63820A12718733. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T63820A12718733.en.
Hammerson, G.A. 2007. Heterodon simus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2007: e.T63821A12718888. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T63821A12718888.en.
Hognose.com
