Eastern hognose snake
Considered harmless to people. Its bluff display is why it gets mistaken for a viper.
- Lives in
- 31 states
- Size
- 20–33 in
- Open US records
- 5,817
- Group
- Snake
How to identify it
- Upturned snout
- Flattens its neck like a cobra and hisses when scared
- Plays dead, rolls over and lets its tongue hang out
- Round pupils
Size: 20–33 in (total length). Habitat: Sandy fields, woods and coastal areas of the East and Midwest.
Also called hognose snake, puff adder, spreading adder.
Where it lives
- Lives here
- Rare records
- Gone
- Not here
When it is out
Look-alikes
- Pygmy Rattlesnake vs Hognose Snake Pygmy rattlesnake: medically significant
- Copperhead vs Hognose Snake Copperhead: medically significant
State by state
| State | Status | Open records | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Lives here | 849 | 133 |
| North Carolina | Lives here | 705 | 72 |
| Louisiana | Lives here | 442 | 29 |
| Florida | Lives here | 300 | 33 |
| Georgia | Lives here | 292 | 37 |
| Illinois | Lives here | 291 | 17 |
| Michigan | Lives here | 255 | 47 |
| Virginia | Lives here | 238 | 69 |
| Oklahoma | Lives here | 222 | 43 |
| Missouri | Lives here | 183 | 11 |
| Indiana | Lives here | 177 | 43 |
| South Carolina | Lives here | 165 | 29 |
| Arkansas | Lives here | 156 | 15 |
| Kansas | Lives here | 155 | 41 |
| Maryland | Lives here | 125 | 14 |
| Alabama | Lives here | 115 | 35 |
| Mississippi | Lives here | 110 | 13 |
| Ohio | Lives here | 110 | 21 |
| Pennsylvania | Lives here | 109 | 25 |
| Wisconsin | Lives here | 102 | 13 |
| Tennessee | Lives here | 99 | 20 |
| Minnesota | Lives here | 98 | 11 |
| Connecticut | Lives here | 97 | 7 |
| New Jersey | Lives here | 89 | 9 |
| New York | Lives here | 83 | 9 |
| Kentucky | Lives here | 66 | 9 |
| West Virginia | Lives here | 43 | 17 |
| Nebraska | Lives here | 39 | 14 |
| Iowa | Lives here | 35 | 14 |
| Delaware | Lives here | 20 | 3 |
| South Dakota | Lives here | 10 | 3 |
| Rhode Island | Rare records | 18 | 2 |
| Massachusetts | Rare records | 15 | 2 |
| Colorado | Rare records | 2 | 1 |
| Idaho | Rare records | 1 | 0 |
| Montana | Rare records | 1 | 0 |
States not listed have no open records and are outside the range.
Questions
Where does the eastern hognose snake live?
In 31 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Rare records also come from Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Montana and Rhode Island.
Is the eastern hognose snake dangerous?
Harmless. Considered harmless to people. Its bluff display is why it gets mistaken for a viper.
How do you identify a eastern hognose snake?
Upturned snout. Flattens its neck like a cobra and hisses when scared. Plays dead, rolls over and lets its tongue hang out.
When is the eastern hognose snake most active?
Most open US records fall in April to June, September.