Hognose snake is a common name for several unrelated species of snakes with upturned snouts, classified in two colubrid snake families and one pseudoxyrhophiid snake family.
They include the following genera:
- Heterodon, which occur mainly in the United States and northern Mexico
- Leioheterodon, the hognose snakes native to Madagascar
- Lystrophis, the South American hognose snakes.
The North American Heterodon species are known for their habit of thanatosis: playing dead when threatened.
Genus Heterodon:
- Mexican hognose snake, Heterodon kennerlyi Kennicott, 1860
- Western/Plains hognose snake, Heterodon nasicus Baird & Girard, 1852
- Gloyd’s hognose snake, Heterodon nasicus gloydi Edgren, 1952
- Eastern hognose snake, Heterodon platirhinos Latreille, 1801
- Southern hognose snake, Heterodon simus (Linnaeus, 1766)
The hognose snakes’ most distinguishing characteristic is their upturned snout/rostral scale, which aids in digging in sandy soils by using a sweeping, side to side motion. They also like to burrow in masses of humus. Lieoheterodon species are known to dig up the eggs of lizards.[1]
Hognose snakes are extremely variable in color and pattern. Heterodon nasicus and H. kennerlyi tend to be sandy colored with black and white markings, while H. platirhinos varies from reds, greens, oranges, browns, to melanistic (i.e. black) depending on locality. They are sometimes blotched and sometimes solid-colored. Leiohetereodon geayi is a brown or tan colored snake with dark speckling on it. There are also many different morphs when bred in captivity.