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/.