Eastern Hognose Snake Heterodon platirhinos - Species in Greatest Conservation Need

Description: 20 - 35 inches. Eastern Hognose Snakes are highly variable in color and pattern. They can be greenish, gray, brown, black, orange, and even reddish in color. They may have very distinct blotches, very faded blotches, or no blotches at all. The belly is always light colored on adults, with the underside of the tail being even lighter than the rest. Young Eastern Hognose Snakes may have a dark belly, but the underside of the tail will always be light colored. There is an upturned scale on the nose, which is said to look like the front of a hogs nose.

Similar Species: Plains Hognose Snakes have a darker, almost completely black belly with random light patches.

Comments: Eastern Hognose Snakes are most often encountered in sandy habitats along the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers.

Distribution Map
Distribution of the Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon platirhinos)

This map is generated from data provided by the Bell Museum of Natural History and HerpMapper.org. Please help us keep it up-to-date by submitting your amphibian and reptile observations.

Phenology of Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon platirhinos)
Photographs