Photo: unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Medically significant · Sistrurus miliarius
Size: 15–24 in. Habitat: Pine woods, wet prairie and lake edges of the Southeast.
Small venom yield, and deaths are extremely rare, but bites are painful and need medical care.
Photo: Sam Kieschnick, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist
Harmless · Heterodon platirhinos
Size: 20–33 in. Habitat: Sandy fields, woods and coastal areas of the East and Midwest.
Considered harmless to people. Its bluff display is why it gets mistaken for a viper.
| Pygmy rattlesnake | Eastern hognose snake | |
|---|---|---|
| Danger | Medically significant | Harmless |
| Size | 15–24 in | 20–33 in |
| States | 13 | 31 |
| Habitat | Pine woods, wet prairie and lake edges of the Southeast | Sandy fields, woods and coastal areas of the East and Midwest |
A pygmy rattlesnake has a tiny rattle and vertical pupils. A hognose has an upturned snout and round pupils, and it spreads its neck or plays dead when bothered.
The pygmy rattlesnake: medically significant. The eastern hognose snake: harmless. If you are not sure, keep your distance and do not handle it.
Both live in 13 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
