Hognose snake
Mexican Hognose Snake
HarmlessHeterodon kennerlyi
6 photographs of the Mexican Hognose Snake. © Mike Ostrowski.
The Mexican Hognose Snake (Heterodon kennerlyi) is a non-venomous snake in the Colubridae family, recorded in 2 countries.
- Also called
- Hognose snake
- Family
- Colubridae
- Size
- Stout, 1.5–3 ft.
- Habitat
- Sandy soils, fields, and open woodlands.
- Behavior
- Famous bluffers: flatten the neck like a cobra, hiss loudly, then play dead. Rear-fanged but harmless to people.
- Identify
- Sharply upturned, shovel-like snout and a stout, blotched body.
About the Mexican Hognose Snake
Heterodon kennerlyi, also known commonly as the Mexican hognose snake, Kennerly's hog-nosed snake, and la trompa de cerdo mexicana in Mexican Spanish, is a species of snake in the subfamily Dipsadinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to the southwestern United States and adjacent northeastern Mexico
Etymology
The specific name, kennerlyi, is in honor of Caleb Burwell Rowan Kennerly, who was an American physician and naturalist.
Description
H. kennerlyi has 2–6 small azygous scales behind the rostral. Adults usually have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 15–25 in (38–64 cm). The maximum recorded SVL is 29.9 in (76 cm).
Geographic range
In the United States H. kennerlyi is found in southern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and southwestern Texas. In Mexico it is found in the Mexican states of Aguascalientes, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Jalisco, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas.
Reproduction
H. kennerlyi is oviparous.
Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.
Frequently asked: Mexican Hognose Snake
- Is the Mexican Hognose Snake venomous?
- No. The Mexican Hognose Snake (Heterodon kennerlyi) is non-venomous and is not considered dangerous to humans. Like most snakes, it will retreat rather than bite when given the chance.
- Is the Mexican Hognose Snake poisonous?
- Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Mexican Hognose Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.
- Is the Mexican Hognose Snake dangerous?
- The Mexican Hognose Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
- Where does the Mexican Hognose Snake live?
- The Mexican Hognose Snake has verified records in 2 countries, including United States of America, Mexico. See the distribution section below for its full range.
- How do I identify the Mexican Hognose Snake?
- Sharply upturned, shovel-like snout and a stout, blotched body.
- How big does the Mexican Hognose Snake get?
- Stout, 1.5–3 ft.
- Why is it called the Mexican Hognose Snake?
- The specific name, kennerlyi, is in honor of Caleb Burwell Rowan Kennerly, who was an American physician and naturalist.
Where it is found
By U.S. state
More Colubridae snakes
Classification
How scientists group this snake, from the broadest category down to the exact species. Each step narrows to its closest relatives.
- OrderThe broad group of scaled reptiles: all snakes and lizards
- Squamata
- FamilyA group of related snakes that share key traits
- Colubridae
- GenusA close-knit group of very similar species
- Heterodon
- SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name
- Heterodon kennerlyi
Keep learning
- What to Do If You Find a SnakeFound a snake at home or on a trail? Here is how to stay calm, give it space, identify it safely, and know when to call a professional.
- Venomous vs Nonvenomous: How to Tell the DifferenceThe folk rules for telling venomous snakes apart, where each one fails, and why location-based identification beats guessing by sight.
- What Is a Snake? Anatomy and the BasicsA clear overview of what makes a snake a snake: limbless body plan, anatomy, evolution from lizards, species diversity, and why they are ectothermic.
- How to Keep Snakes Out of Your Yard and HomeA practical guide to keeping snakes out of your yard and home using habitat changes that work, plus what to skip and what to do if one shows up.
Distribution from GBIF & iNaturalist. Venom status per CDC. Background: Wikipedia. Informational only. Never handle a snake to identify it.