Natural History of the Hognose Snakes Heterodon Platyrhinos and Heterodon Nasicus
University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 253-420, 26 figs., 7 pis. July 7, 1969 Natural History of the Hognose Snakes Heterodon platyrhinos and Heterodon nasicus BY DWIGHT R. PLATT University of Kansas Lawrence 1969 University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History Editors of this number: Frank B. Cross, Philip S. Humphrey, J. Knox Jones, Jr. Volume 18, No. 4, pp. 253-420, 26 figs., 7 pis. Published July 7, 1969 University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas PRINTED BY ROBERT R. (BOB) SANDERS, STATE PRINTER TOPEKA, KANSAS 1969 32-4332 Natural History of the Hognose Snakes Heterodon platyrhinos and Heterodon nasicus BY DWIGHT R. PLATT CONTENTS PAGE Introduction 256 Acknowledgments 258 Methods 259 Description of Study Areas 261 Morphology 265 Taxonomic Status 281 Fossil Record and Evolutionary History 285 Geographic Range and Habitat 287 Temperature 299 Periodicity 305 Shelters and Burrowing 316 Locomotion and Prowling Behavior 320 Home Range and Movements 321 Reproduction 325 Growth and Ecdysis 347 Food Habits 361 Disease and Mortality 375 Population 385 Relation to Man 393 Ecological Comparisons 394 Summary 398 Literature Cited 405 (255) 256 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist, INTRODUCTION Because of their peculiar morphology and interesting behavior, hognose snakes, genus Heterodon, have been extensively featured in popular literature. Even so, little is known about many aspects of their ecology and most of what is known is to be found in scat- tered notes. Some of the more important
[Show full text]