One of the 26 snakes on WAnimals
Reptiles · Squamata · Colubridae
Western Hognose Snake
Heterodon nasicus
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
The western hognose snake is a harmless species of reptile of the family Colubridae. It lives from south-eastern Alberta and north-western Manitoba in Canada, south as far as northern Mexico. There are also disjunct populations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas. It has two subspecies.
Weight
350 g on average
Size
40 cm – 90 cm
Lifespan
18 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Fun facts
- GeneralIf hissing does not work it plays dead on its back with its tongue lolling out.
- Its defensive repertoire has two acts: first it puffs up its neck, hisses and makes bluff strikes without biting, impersonating a dangerous snake; if the intruder does not leave, it writhes, rolls onto its back, lets its tongue loll out and sometimes defecates and regurgitates to strengthen the effect.
- Its death-feigning is so rigid that if it is turned the right way up it immediately rolls onto its back again, giving the whole performance away.
- Its shovel-shaped snout is adapted to digging up toads, which are the basis of its diet, and it is resistant to the skin toxins those amphibians produce.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
- Habitat & environment
- Sandy grassland, scrub and dry plains of central North America
- Sexual maturity
- 2 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 56 days
- Litter / clutch size
- 13
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterodon_nasicus
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 17 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Western Hognose Snake — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Red Cornsnake
Pantherophis guttatus
Western Rat Snake
Pantherophis obsoletus
Common Kingsnake
Lampropeltis getula
Common Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis
Eastern Milksnake
Lampropeltis triangulum
Racer
Coluber constrictor
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