Home/Species/ Eastern Hog-nosed Snake

Heterodon platirhinos

Latreille, 1801

Eastern Hog-nosed Snake

G5Secure Found in 14 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

Least concernIUCN

MediumThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.106140

Element CodeARADB17020

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVertebrate Animal

IUCNLeast concern

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomAnimalia

PhylumCraniata

ClassReptilia

OrderSquamata

FamilyColubridae

GenusHeterodon

Synonyms

Heterodon contortrixStejneger and Barbour, 1917:76

Other Common Names

Couleuvre à nez plat (FR) eastern hog-nosed snake (EN) Eastern Hognose Snake (EN)

Concept Reference

Pyron, R. A., F. T. Burbrink, and J. J. Wiens. 2013. A phylogeny and revised classification of Squamata, including 4161 species of lizards and snakes. BMC Evolutionary Biology 29:131.

Taxonomic Comments

Specific name formerly spelled "platyrhinos"; see Platt (1985) for justification for change.

Conservation Status

Rank MethodExpertise without calculation

Review Date2016-02-02

Change Date1996-10-30

Edition Date2014-01-28

Edition AuthorsJackson, D. R. (2014); Hammerson, G. (2006)

Threat ImpactMedium

Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences> 300

Rank Reasons

Though undoubtedly local populations have experienced decline or extirpation, the species occurs across a huge range in a variety of habitats.

Range Extent Comments

The range extends from southern New England through southern Ontario to Minnesota and South Dakota, and south to southern Texas, the Gulf Coast, and southern Florida (Conant and Collins 1991, Ernst and Ernst 2003).

Occurrences Comments

This species is represented by hundreds of occurrences (subpopulations).

Threat Impact Comments

No major threats are known. Locally, some populations have declined as a result of conversion of habitat to intensive human uses.

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitats include openly wooded upland hills, forest edges, fields, woodland meadows, prairies, forest-grassland ecotones, sand plains, barrier islands, fire-managed pinelands, river valleys, riparian zones, and various other habitats with loose soils and amphibian prey. This snake crawls on the surface and burrows into soil. It overwinters in burrows (made by mammal or self-dug) or under rocks of talus slopes. Eggs are laid in nests a few inches below the ground surface (Platt 1969) or in rotting wood (DeGraaf and Rudis 1983).

Ecology

Population density estimated at about 1-2/ha in pasture in Kansas, about half this density in ungrazed area; mean dis- tance between successive captures was 682 and 952 ft in two areas (Platt 1969).

In Arkansas, individuals had large, well-defined home ranges of 21-73 ha (average 50 ha, n = 8), which for individuals remained similar in size and location from year to year (Plummer and Mills 2000). Movements of translocated snakes tended to be more erratic and unidirectional, and translocated snakes exhibited reduced survival.

Reproduction

Lays clutch of 4-61 eggs, May-August (earlier in south than in north). Eggs hatch in 39-65 days. Usually sexually mature in 2nd year.

Terrestrial Habitats

Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedGrassland/herbaceousOld fieldCropland/hedgerow

Palustrine Habitats

Riparian

Other Nations (2)

United StatesN5

Province	Rank	Native
South Dakota	S1	Yes
Louisiana	S3	Yes
Colorado	S1	Yes
Michigan	S3	Yes
Georgia	S5	Yes
Rhode Island	S2	Yes
Maryland	S5	Yes
New Hampshire	S1	Yes
Pennsylvania	S3	Yes
Illinois	S5	Yes
Wisconsin	S4	Yes
Tennessee	S4	Yes
Connecticut	S2	Yes
Missouri	S5	Yes
District of Columbia	SH	Yes
Kentucky	S5	Yes
Alabama	S5	Yes
New Mexico	SNR	Yes
New Jersey	S3	Yes
Florida	S3	Yes
Oklahoma	SNR	Yes
Virginia	S5	Yes
Texas	S5	Yes
West Virginia	S3	Yes
New York	S3	Yes
Minnesota	S4	Yes
Indiana	S3	Yes
Iowa	S4	Yes
South Carolina	S5	Yes
Arkansas	S5	Yes
North Carolina	S4	Yes
Kansas	S4	Yes
Delaware	S4	Yes
Massachusetts	S3	Yes
Ohio	S3	Yes
Mississippi	S5	Yes
Nebraska	S3	Yes

CanadaN3

Province	Rank	Native
Ontario	S3	Yes

Roadless Areas (14)

Arkansas (5)

Area	Forest	Acres
Bear Mountain	Ouachita National Forest	1,910
Clifty Canyon	Ozark-St. Francis National Forest	1,963
East Fork	Ozark-St. Francis National Forest	13,037
Hurricane Creek	Ozark-St. Francis National Forest	2,279
Little Blakely	Ouachita National Forest	3,342

Florida (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Gum Bay	Apalachicola National Forest	11,645

North Carolina (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Linville Gorge Addition	Pisgah National Forest	2,809

Texas (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Little Lake Creek	National Forests in Texas	596

Virginia (6)

Area	Forest	Acres
Beards Mountain	George Washington National Forest	7,505
Broad Run	Jefferson National Forest	10,971
Kelley Mountain	George Washington National Forest	7,590
Mottesheard (VA)	Jefferson National Forest	2,596
Mt. Pleasant	George Washington National Forest	8,933
Three Sisters	George Washington National Forest	8,149

References (31)

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