Squidward the Western Hognose Snake

About Western Hognose Snakes

• Size: Typically range from 2 - 3 feet in length with females being larger than males. Hatchlings emerge from the egg only 5 - 7 inches in size

• Lifespan: Hognose snakes usually live nine to 19 years in the wild with an average lifespan on the higher end of that range in captivity

• Diet: 80% of a hognose diet consists of toads. They also eat other amphibians, small mammals and eggs.

• Reproduction: Adolescents reach sexual maturity between one and three years of age. Females make their nests by burrowing about 5 inches into sand or loose soil and lay two to 24 eggs. Hatchlings are completely independent as soon as they hatch.

• Range: Hognose snakes can be found all across the United States. Western Hognose snakes are found west of the Mississippi in savannas and grassland habitats. Pennsylvania’s Eastern Hognose snakes prefer more densely wooded habitats.

• Other Facts: Hognose snakes will play dead to protect themselves from predators. They contort their body to show their black bellies and vomit up food to make themselves appear too gross to eat. Hognose snakes have an enlarged adrenal gland to help negate toxins found in the skin of toads they eat. Habitat loss is the biggest threat to wild hognose populations, and Eastern Hognose snakes are a species of special concern in PA.