The Pug of the Snake World

Puffed up Hognose Snake

The other day, I had hit a wall on what else I should right about. Immediately, told my dad to shout out some of his favorite reptiles. I wasn't exactly expecting his list of snakes, but I did appreciate all the new ideas for blogs. One of his favorite snakes was the Eastern Hognosed snake, which he used to see in his boyhood. So this blog is dedicated to my father, the king of reptiles.

Face of a Hognose Snake

Their heads sort of remind me of how a pug's face is smashed, thus explaining the title. They have thick bodies, a wide neck, and an upturned snout. They come in all the colors of the rainbow, so there is no easy way to describe their patterns. The cool thing about this snake is that it can flatten its neck like a cobra to make itself look bigger. To a bunch of young boys, I could only imagine their reaction to that action. The Hognose can also do a very convincing job of playing dead. It will roll over on its back, open its mouth, and stick its tongue out. If you try to flip it over on its stomach, it will just flop back onto its back. Finally, if neither of these things work, the snake can bite, but its very rare that they bite humans.They consume a large range of prey. However, toads are their favorite.

Baby Hognose Snake

Due to their choice location, they tend to find themselves in colder climates like good'ol Michigan winters. To survive such harsh temperatures, they with hibernate by burrowing themselves in the soil, or barrow the holes of mammals such as woodchucks and skunks. They prefer woodland areas of fields. They must be mindful of predators. Such predators include hawks, owls, Red Fox, and Virginia Opossum.

Hognose Snake playing dead

Scientific Name: Heterodon platyrhinos
Links: http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/eastern_hognose_snake.htm