North GroundHuntNorth Ground Hunt — return to North Ground
Species authority page

Eastern hognose snake

Heterodon platirhinos · Snakes · Reptiles

Eastern hognose snake (Heterodon platirhinos): Thick body, wide head and a slightly upturned, pointed snout; adults 45-105 cm. Juveniles pinkish with alternating dark brown to black blotches. This profile does not establish whether taking it is legal anywhere.

Check rules for a place and date

Certified rules currently represented in Hunt: coverage in development. This is coverage, not a legal answer.

Eastern hognose snake coiled on the forest floor
Adobe Stock · Free asset, Standard License (asset 513578069)
Scientific name
Heterodon platirhinos
Family
Colubridae
In North America
Native
Range
Southern New England and southern Ontario to Minnesota and South Dakota, south to southern Texas, the Gulf Coast and southern Florida.
Biology

How to identify it

Thick body, wide head and a slightly upturned, pointed snout; adults 45-105 cm. [1][2]

Juveniles pinkish with alternating dark brown to black blotches. [1][2]

Adults vary from tan, gray, red, yellowish or greenish to solid dark gray or black; lighter ones show dark blotches. [1][2]

Belly white to light gray; 23-25 dorsal scale rows and a divided anal plate. [1][2]

Field knowledge

Where it lives

Open wooded hills, forest edges, fields, meadows, prairies, sand plains and river valleys with loose soil and amphibian prey. [1][2]

Field knowledge

How it behaves

Diurnal, most active around mid-day; active early April to October/November depending on temperature. [1][2]

Eats mainly amphibians, especially toads. [1][2]

Overwinters in burrows or under talus rocks; lays 4-61 eggs May-August. [1][2]

Regulatory handoff

Limited legal take

Legal take of this species exists only under narrow conditions — a quota, a draw, a permit, a small area, or animals released or held on private land — set by the authorities below. Nowhere else is a legal opportunity implied, and Hunt shows one only where a certified rule establishes it.

Where legal take is listed

Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.

Geospatial intelligence

Where it is found

Southern New England and southern Ontario to Minnesota and South Dakota, south to southern Texas, the Gulf Coast and southern Florida.

Biology

Sources

Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.

  1. NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30

    NatureServe

  2. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology · reviewed 2026-09-30

    University of Michigan Museum of Zoology