Mildly venomous, harmless to people · Native to the United States

Eastern hognose snake

Heterodon platirhinos Latreille, 1801

Also called hog-nosed snake
Data updated October 2026

Eastern hognose snake lying belly-up in a coil on bare ground with its mouth open and tongue out, playing dead
Fig. 1 — Playing dead: the snake rolls onto its back, opens its mouth and lets the tongue hang out.

At a glance

A thick-bodied snake with an upturned snout that it uses to dig out toads. When threatened it flattens its neck and hisses, then may roll over and play dead. It rarely bites and is harmless to people.

01

Identification

Look for a stout snake with a pointed, upturned snout. Color varies widely: gray, tan, yellow, brown, olive or orange, usually with darker blotches down the back. There is always a pair of large dark blotches just behind the head. The scales are keeled. When disturbed it spreads its head and neck wide, which is why people often mistake it for a venomous snake.

  1. 01Upturned snout. A shovel-like tip used to dig toads out of loose soil.
  2. 02Neck blotches. Two large dark brown or black patches just behind the head.
  3. 03Bluffing display. Flattens the neck, hisses and fakes strikes, often with its mouth closed.

Commonly confused with

Copperhead vs cottonmouth: how to tell them apart →

02

Size

01 ft2 ft3 ft4 ft Typical adult · about 28 in (71 cm)

Most adults are 20 to 33 inches (51–84 cm) long, and a few reach about 4 feet. Females are larger than males; males have longer tails. Hatchlings are about 9 inches (23 cm) long.

03

Range & habitat

Eastern hognose snake coiled belly-up on sandy ground with low plants
Fig. 2 — Hognose snakes favor sandy or loose soils where toads are common.

Eastern hognose snakes live across the eastern United States, from Minnesota and New Hampshire south to Florida. In the west the range reaches Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and southern South Dakota. In Florida they occur in every mainland county but are absent from the Keys.

They prefer sandy or loose soils in open woods, old fields, river floodplains, barrier islands and rocky wooded hillsides.

State guides: Texas · Oklahoma · Florida

04

Diet & predators

Toads are the main food. Hognose snakes also eat frogs, salamanders, lizards and their eggs, ground-nesting bird eggs and small mammals. They use the snout to dig prey out of soil. Enlarged teeth at the back of the upper jaw and a mild venom help subdue toads. The venom is not considered dangerous to people.

Feeds on

  • Toads
  • Frogs
  • Salamanders
  • Lizards and their eggs

Preyed on by

05

Behavior & seasons

The hognose snake is famous for its bluff. When threatened it flattens its head and neck, hisses loudly and strikes, often without opening its mouth. If that fails it may writhe, give off a foul musk, roll onto its back and lie still with its mouth open and tongue out. Turned right side up, it often rolls straight back over. It rarely bites, even when handled.

It is active by day. In Missouri it spends winter, from early November through April, in old mammal burrows or logs. When are snakes active in Texas?

06

Reproduction

Mating takes place in April and May, and sometimes in September and October. Females lay one clutch a year, in early to mid summer, of 4 to 61 eggs, with an average of 22. Eggs are laid underground or in rotting wood and hatch after about 39 to 65 days, in August or September. Young mature at about two years.

07

Conservation

The species remains widespread, but it has declined in parts of its range. New Jersey listed it as a species of special concern in January 2025. Threats include habitat loss, road traffic, killing by people who mistake it for a venomous snake, collection for the pet trade and declines in the toads and frogs it eats.

Keep reading

Sources

Data updated October 2026 · How we build these pages