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Critter of the Month
Eastern hognose
Heterodon platirhinos
These are the magicians of the snake world! They have many tricks with which to both amaze and confuse you. And then – poof – they’re gone.
The eastern hognose is good at bluffing – something that often gets it killed. Many people think it is venomous and even give it unfortunate names like “spreading adder” and “puff adder.” This is largely in reference to its ability to flatten and spread its neck like a cobra. At the same time, it often hisses loudly and jerks its head, simulating a striking motion. Close observation will reveal that the hognose’s mouth remains closed the whole time, and he is mostly jerking backward and not actually striking at all.
If this bluff is unsuccessful, it will often feign death, and quite convincingly. Sometimes, defecation or regurgitation will accompany the “death throes.” Ultimately, the harassed hognose will be on its back with it mouth open and tongue hanging out, looking quite dead. If you fail to watch it closely, soon it will be gone.
The eastern hognose has feeding habits that are as interesting as its defensive displays. First of all, it eats only frogs and toads. Frogs may be jumpy and slimy and hard to catch, but toads are poisonous. Very, very few animals even try to eat
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Note the defensive flattened neck and the upturned nose
of this eastern hognose.
toads. Some are so poisonous that a dog simply having it in his mouth for a short time can die. Also, the toad, in an effort to avoid being eaten, will inflate itself with air to be as big as possible. How does the hognose get around these challenges?
A little Latin is all we need to get started. The hognose genus, Heterodon, means “different tooth.” This is referring to oversized rear teeth that are used to introduce a mild venom, relaxing the toad.
This diurnal snake is found over much of the eastern U.S. It typically occupies loose-soiled fields and woodlands, where it uses its upturned nose like a shovel to find toads often several inches underground.
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* For a fun research challenge, tell us how many species of hognose snakes there are in the U.S. Is it (a) one, (b) two, (c) four, or (d) six?
(Email your answers to hiss@wildlifeonthemove.com, and those with correct answers will be recognized in this section when the next critter is posted.)
Return soon for a new critter.
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