WATCH NOW: Learn About the Hognose Snake!
Hognose snakes are small and stout and full of tricks! Native to North America and Mexico, these harmless snakes range from 18 inches to three feet depending on gender and age. These small snakes are most noticeable by their adorable upturned snouts!
If you're looking for a great pet snake, the Hognose snake could be ideal. These snakes are pretty easy to care for, making them suitable for newer snake owners. Read on to find out more about this fascinating snake breed.
Hognose Snake Behavior
Hognose snakes are on the timid side and like to burrow in sandy soil and hide in their bedding. When threatened, hognose snakes have a variety of ways to deter predators. They will sometimes flatten their neck and raise up to strike like a cobra, but rarely bite, earning them the nickname, "puff adder." They are rear-fanged and while they are venomous to frogs and toads, they are harmless to humans.
If that doesn't work, they play dead! They flop over with their belly exposed and their tongue hanging out of their mouth to trick their predator. Sometimes, if extremely frightened, they will musk as part of their antics. If you try to flip them over, they will roll back to their "dead" position to try and convince you further. The act of playing dead is called thanatosis in the animal world.
Hognose Snakes as Pets
Their smaller size and adaptable nature make them great pets. They consume their prey live and eat appropriately sized rodents roughly once a week. They have minimal tank requirements (a water dish and a few hides), and an easily attainable heat requirement (temperature gradient with a high of 80 degrees F, a basking temperature of 90 degrees F).
Hognose Snake Species
There are lots of different species of hognose, but the Heterodon nasicus, the Dusty hognose snake and the Western hognose snake or plains hognose snake are considered the best types for captivity. The Eastern hognose snake, Heterodon platirhinos, can also be kept as pets but slightly more rare and have tougher feeding requirements. Finally the Southern hognose snake, Heterodon simus, is found in the Southeast United States from North Carolina to Florida and west to Mississippi. That species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The hognose lifespan ranges from 18 to 20 years!
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Image via: Reptiles Magazine
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