Western Hognose Fact Sheet

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Western Hognose Fact Sheet Common Name: Western Hognose Snake Scientific Name: Heterodon nasicus Wild Status: Least Concern Habitat: prairies, grasslands, floodplains Country: Canada, United States, Mexico Shelter: Burrows Life Span: 15 years Size: 2 feet long Details The western hognose snake is a small colubrid snake native to North America. Males are often under two feet in length, with females rarely exceeding three feet. They are named for the small upturned scale on their snout, which looks like that of a pig. Hognose snakes feed primarily on frogs and toads, but will take the occasional lizard or small rodent. Even though they are rear-fanged and do possess toxins in their saliva, their bite is not considered to be medically relevant to humans. Cool Facts When confronted by a potential predator, hognose snakes will play dead. They go completely limp with their tongue lolling from their mouth, and a musk that smells strongly of carrion oozes out of their cloaca. The "hognose" of the hognose snake is used to help the snake burrow through loose, gravelly soils. Due to its docile temperament and small size, the hognose snake has become a popular pet. There are more than 50 different color/pattern varieties in captivity. The genus Heterodon contains three species of hognose snakes: the western hognose snake (H. nasicus), the eastern hognose (H. platirhinos), and the southern hognose (H. simus). Taxonomic Breakdown Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Family: Dipsadidae Genus: Heterodon Species: H. nasicus Conservation & Helping The western hognose snake is not endangered and is classified as least concern. Download all our fact sheets, take our quizzes, and more, all in the Critter Squad Kids’ Zone! https://www.crittersquad.com/kids-zone/.

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Western Hognose Snake Care Sheet (Heterodon Nasicus)
Western Hognose Snake Care Sheet (Heterodon nasicus) The western hognose snake is a small, stout bodied colubrid indigenous to north-central Mexico, central North America, and into south-central Canada. Hognose snakes are so named due to their pointed, upturned rostral (nose) scale that enable them to dig through sandy or other loose substrate in search of prey. Hognose snakes are well known for their defensive behaviors. When first encountered, they will produce a loud raspy hiss, flatten their heads and necks to mimic a cobra, and will mock strike in order to appear larger and more intimidating. If that display fails, hognose snakes will often flip themselves upside down and writhe about in the substrate with their mouth open in order to appear dead and lifeless to the predator while excluding a foul smelling musk. Western hognose snakes have become increasingly popular in the reptile industry due to their small size, and rodent eating habits when compared to other species of hognose. *Overall Difficulty Level: Novice Western hognose are a species that are suitable for the beginning reptile owner due to their small size and ease of care provided that one has a general knowledge of reptile, and specifically, snake husbandry. Unlike other North American hognose, captive born and well established western species adapt far more readily to eating rodents making them the most commonly and easily kept species of hognose. Given the proper care, western hognose snakes can attain longevity of 15-25 years on average in captivity. Western Hognose Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Serpentes Family: Colubridae Subfamily: Xenodontinae Genus: Heterodon Species Epithet: Heterodon nasicus Size and Description Hatchling western hognose snakes typically range from five to nine inches in length.
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The Hognose Snake: a Prairie Survivor for Ten Million Years
University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Programs Information: Nebraska State Museum Museum, University of Nebraska State 1977 The Hognose Snake: A Prairie Survivor for Ten Million Years M. R. Voorhies University of Nebraska State Museum, [email protected] R. G. Corner University of Nebraska State Museum Harvey L. Gunderson University of Nebraska State Museum Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/museumprogram Part of the Higher Education Administration Commons Voorhies, M. R.; Corner, R. G.; and Gunderson, Harvey L., "The Hognose Snake: A Prairie Survivor for Ten Million Years" (1977). Programs Information: Nebraska State Museum. 8. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/museumprogram/8 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Museum, University of Nebraska State at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Programs Information: Nebraska State Museum by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. University of Nebraska State Museum and Planetarium 14th and U Sts. NUMBER 15JAN 12, 1977 ognose snake hunting in sand. The snake uses its shovel-like snout to loosen the soil. Hognose snakes spend most of their time above ground, but burrow in search of food, primarily toads. Even when toads are buried a foot or more in sand, hog nose snakes can detect them and dig them out. (Photos by Harvey L. Gunderson) Heterodon platyrhinos. The snout is used in digging; :tivities THE HOG NOSE SNAKE hognose snakes are expert burrowers, the western species being nicknamed the "prairie rooter" by Sand hills ranchers. The snakes burrow in pursuit of food which consists Prairie Survivor for almost entirely of toads, although occasionally frogs or small birds and mammals may be eaten.
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Overlapping of Ranges of Eastern and Western Hognose Snakes in Southeastern Iowa
Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science Volume 78 Number 1-2 Article 11 1971 Overlapping of Ranges of Eastern and Western Hognose Snakes in Southeastern Iowa J. J. Berberich University of Iowa C. H. Dodge University of Iowa G. E. Folk Jr. University of Iowa Let us know how access to this document benefits ouy Copyright ©1971 Iowa Academy of Science, Inc. Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias Recommended Citation Berberich, J. J.; Dodge, C. H.; and Folk, G. E. Jr. (1971) "Overlapping of Ranges of Eastern and Western Hognose Snakes in Southeastern Iowa," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 78(1-2), 25-26. Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol78/iss1/11 This Research is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa Academy of Science at UNI ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science by an authorized editor of UNI ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Berberich et al.: Overlapping of Ranges of Eastern and Western Hognose Snakes in So 25 Overlapping of Ranges of Eastern and Western Hognose Snakes in Southeastern Iowa J. J. BERBERICH,1 C. H. DODGE and G. E. FOLK, JR. J. J. BERBERICH, C. H . DODGE, & G. E. FOLK, JR. Overlapping ( Heterodon nasicus nasicus Baird and Girrard) is reported from of ranges of eastern and western hognose snakes in southeastern a sand prairie in Muscatine County, Iowa. Iowa. Proc. Iowa Acad. Sci., 78( 1 ) :25-26, 1971. INDEX DESCRIPTORS : hognose snake; Heterodon nasicus; H eterodon SYNOPSIS.
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First Reported Case of Thrombocytopenia from a Heterodon Nasicus Envenomation T
Toxicon 157 (2019) 12–17 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Toxicon journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/toxicon Case report First reported case of thrombocytopenia from a Heterodon nasicus envenomation T ∗ Nicklaus Brandehoffa,c, , Cara F. Smithb, Jennie A. Buchanana, Stephen P. Mackessyb, Caitlin F. Bonneya a Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center – Denver Health and Hospital Authority, Denver, CO, USA b School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, USA c University of California, San Francisco-Fresno, Fresno, CA, USA ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Context: The vast majority of the 2.5 million annual worldwide venomous snakebites are attributed to Viperidae Envenomation or Elapidae envenomations. Of the nearly 2000 Colubridae species described, only a handful are known to cause Colubridae medically significant envenomations. Considered medically insignificant, Heterodon nasicus (Western Hognose Heterodon nasicus Snake) is a North American rear-fanged colubrid common in the legal pet trading industry. Previously reported cases of envenomations describe local pain, swelling, edema, and blistering. However, there are no reported cases of systemic or hematologic toxicity. Case details: A 20-year-old female sustained a bite while feeding a captive H. nasicus causing local symptoms and thrombocytopenia. On day three after envenomation, the patient was seen in the emergency department for persistent pain, swelling, and blistering. At that time, she was found to have a platelet count of 90 × 109/L. Previous routine platelet counts ranged from 315 to 373 × 109/L during the prior two years. Local symptoms peaked on day seven post envenomation. Her local symptoms and thrombocytopenia improved on evaluation four months after envenomation.
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Status of Plains Hognose Snake in Alberta 1998
Status of the Plains Hognose Snake (Heterodon nasicus nasicus) in Alberta Jonathan Wright Andrew Didiuk Alberta Wildlife Status Report No. 15 October 1998 Published By: Publication No. T/414 ISBN: 0-7785-0234-1 ISSN: 1206-4912 Series Editor: Isabelle M. Richardson Senior Editor: David R. C. Prescott Illustrations: Brian Huffman For copies of this report, contact: Information Centre - Publications Alberta Environmental Protection Natural Resources Service Main Floor, Bramalea Building 9920 - 108 Street Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5K 2M4 Telephone: (403) 422-2079 OR Information Service Alberta Environmental Protection #100, 3115 - 12 Street NE Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2E 7J2 Telephone: (403) 297-3362 This publication may be cited as: Wright, J. 1998. Status of the Plains Hognose Snake (Heterodon nasicus nasicus) in Alberta. Alberta Environmental Protection, Fisheries & Wildlife Management Division, and Alberta Conservation Association, Wildlife Status Report No. 15, Edmonton, AB. 26 pp. ii PREFACE Every five years, the Fisheries and Wildlife Management Division of Alberta Natural Resources Service reviews the status of wildlife species in Alberta. These overviews, which have been conducted in 1991 and 1996, assign individual species to ‘colour’ lists that reflect the perceived level of risk to populations that occur in the province. Such designations are determined from extensive consultations with professional and amateur biologists, and from a variety of readily available sources of population data. A primary objective of these reviews is to identify species that may be considered for more detailed status determinations. The Alberta Wildlife Status Report Series is an extension of the 1996 Status of Alberta Wildlife review process, and provides comprehensive current summaries of the biological status of selected wildlife species in Alberta.
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Female Reproduction in Western Hognose Snakes (Heterodon Nasicus) in the Nebraska Sandhills, USA
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Heterodon Nasicus
Eastern Illinois University The Keep Masters Theses Student Theses & Publications 1-1-2011 Interactions of diet and behavior in a death-feigning snake (Heterodon nasicus) Andrew Michael Durso Eastern Illinois University This research is a product of the graduate program in Biological Sciences at Eastern Illinois University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Durso, Andrew Michael, "Interactions of diet and behavior in a death-feigning snake (Heterodon nasicus)" (2011). Masters Theses. 47. http://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/47 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses & Publications at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INTERACTIONS OF DIET AND BEHAVIOR IN A DEATH-FEIGNING SNAKE (HETERODON NASICUS) BY ANDREW MICHAEL DURSO THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL, EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS 2011 I HEREBY RECOMMEND THAT THIS THESIS BE ACCEPTED AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF THE GRADUATE DEGREE CITED ABOVE _________________________________________ ____________________________________ THESIS COMMITTEE CHAIR DATE DEPARTMENT CHAIR DATE _________________________________________ THESIS COMMITTEE MEMBER DATE _________________________________________ THESIS COMMITTEE MEMBER DATE Copyright 2011 by Andrew M. Durso ABSTRACT Studies of animal behavior in captivity are limited in their ability to explain the influence of a natural environment on behavioral ecology. Defensive behaviors vary among individual animals, between sexes and with age, as well as with other less well-known factors. The toxin-rich diet of many toad-eating snakes might enable or cause their passive terminal defensive behavior of death-feigning.
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