The Southern hog-nosed snake is a harmless snake species native to the southeastern United States. It is small but stout with a wide neck and a sharply upturned snout. The dorsal color pattern consists of a light brown, yellowish, grayish, or reddish ground color, overlaid with a distinct row of dark blotches that alternate with smaller blotches on the flanks. The belly is distinctly darker in color than the underside of the tail in juveniles. As the snake ages, the underside usually becomes a pale white.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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FossorialA fossorial animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, ...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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PolyandryPolygyny is a mating system in which one female lives and mates with multiple males but each male only mates with a single female.
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HibernatingHibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
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starts with
Southern hognose snakes are found in the southeastern United States from North Carolina, south to Lake Okeechobee in Florida, and west to Mississippi. They inhabit dry and open sandy areas, dry river floodplains, fields, and wire grass flatwoods.
Southern hognose snakes are active during the day, usually from May till October. They lead a solitary life and spend much of their time burrowed in the soil. Southern hognose snakes are not venomous and almost never bite. When threatened they will hiss loudly and spread the skin around their head and neck, just like a cobra. They may also play dead by rolling on their back, convulse and open their mouth.
Southern hognose snakes are carnivores. They prey upon toads, frogs, spadefoots, and lizards.
Southern hognose snakes are polyandrous meaning that one female mates with multiple males. The breeding season usually occurs from April through August. Females lay 6-14 thin-shelled, leathery, whitish eggs which hatch after 55-60 days. Hatchlings are independent from birth and measure 15-18 cm (6-7 inches) in total length.
Southern hognose snakes are threatened by habitat loss due to the expansion of agriculture, the use of pesticides, persecution by humans, and road mortality.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Southern hognose snake is fewer than 10,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
