Saw this interesting snake at Mom’s Saturday. It is an Eastern Hognose (Heterondon platirhinos) and basically dines on toads. It is even especially adapted to eat them. A toad when frightened may inflate its body. Well the Hognose has fangs in the back of its month designed to puncture and deflate toads. Did I say fangs? Yes but not a threat to people. The Hognose will act aggressive but is a pussy cat. It will hiss and expand (flatten) its neck and may even strike. However, when striking it doesn’t even open its mouth. If all this does not scare you away then, you guessed it, the Hognose will play dead, e.g. roll over on its back, open its mouth even getting dirt in it, and froth (spit). If you pick the Hognose up it will hang limp like a dead snake. However, and this is funny, if you place it back on the ground on its stomach it will turn back over onto its back, not at all like a dead snake. Duh. (Check this picture of an adult at this site)

Why the name “Hognose”? Well, the snake has a turned-up nose especially suited to digging into toad burrows. How would we like it if there was a preditor especially designed to catch and eat us. (My wife adds that we do have such a preditor. They are called “Corporate CEOs”)

Also this turtle. The turtle and the snake were both in the same blackberry patch. I don’t know why they were there but I was there for the obvious reason.

I picked Jeanne a cup of blackberries for her personal enjoyment.