Fast facts
Common name(s): Eastern hog-nosed snake
Scientific name: Heterodon platirhinos
Range in MA: Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, Worcester, Middlesex, Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth, and Barnstable Counties below 300-meter elevations.
Conservation status: Listed as a species of special concern in Massachusetts
Fun fact: Can flatten its head and neck and hiss when stressed (to intimidate predators) or "play dead" by lying on its back, vomiting, and defecating (to appear less palatable to predators).
Description
Eastern hog-nosed snakes are stocky and heavily-patterned with yellow/olive/orange/gray backgrounds and large, rectangular, dark saddle marks. Their bellies are mottled, and their tail undersides are distinctly lighter than the rest of the belly. They have keeled scales and upturned, pointed snouts that are well adapted to digging through sand. Adults range in length from 20-40+ inches.
When threatened, these snakes can flatten their heads and necks and hiss (the only native snakes able to make this sound) and strike with their mouths closed (they almost never bite). If still stressed, they can roll on their backs, vomit, empty their bowels, and pretend to be dead.
If you see one
Because they are listed as a species of special concern in Massachusetts, please maintain a safe, respectful distance. Avoid trying to handle or otherwise disturb them.
To help with conservation efforts, please submit your observations with us. Either:
- create an account in the Heritage Hub, or
- complete and mail a Rare Animal Observation Form for one-time observations.
Your reports provide critical information that informs future habitat management and wildlife conservation for future generations.
Habitat
Eastern hog-nosed snakes live mainly in sandy soils and fire-maintained pitch pine-scrub oak habitats. Most are limited to southeastern Massachusetts and certain areas of the Connecticut Valley.
Life history
Mating may take place spring or fall. Females lay clutches of 6–30+ eggs in shallow nests in July and August. These hatch in less than 2 months. Eastern hog-nosed snakes feed almost exclusively on toads. They have a pair of extra-long teeth toward the back of their upper jaws to puncture inflated toads and make them easier to swallow. Younger snakes may also eat frogs, red efts, and insects.
Management and conservation
The main threat to eastern hog-nosed snakes in Massachusetts is habitat loss. More than any other snake species in Massachusetts, they are associated with sandplain communities on deep sandy outwash and coastal dunes and may benefit from strategic management of these areas where they occur.
Additional threats include:
- Road fatalities
- Depredation by small carnivores
- Intentional killing by people who mistake them for a venomous species or who are startled by its anti-predator displays
- Limited dispersal capability—they have an aversion to crossing paved roads
- Loss of wetland/lowland habitats important for the reproduction of prey species such as toads
- Unnaturally dense populations of “human commensal” carnivores (raccoons, skunks, foxes) associated with human development
Top management approaches include:
- Close monitoring on Cape Cod to further inform management actions to minimize adult mortality
- Studies to determine more about abundance, distribution, and core habitat requirements
- Habitat management on several major protected areas, including vegetation management, forestry, and prescribed fire
- Restoration of pitch pine–scrub oak communities with prescribed fire and forestry at other locations
- Habitat management activities need further evaluation to confirm that they result in more stabilized populations
- Identification, mapping, and mitigation of road mortality hotspots
- Long-term, quantitative monitoring