Species of the Month

These species have been featured in our FYI newsletter as "species of the month."

• Brook Lampreys
• Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
• Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)
• Eastern Hog-nosed Snake (Heterodon platirhinos)
• Blue Ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata)
• Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis fontinalis)
• Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)
• Smooth Serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis)

Eastern Hog-nosed Snake (Heterodon platirhinos)

One of Ontario’s most unique snake species, the eastern hog-nosed snake can be found in sandy areas, ranging from open fields to dunes and thickets to mixed forests. This harmless snake is named for its upturned snout, which it uses to prod for toads, to bury itself in sand, or to excavate a nest.

Right: The eastern hog-nosed snake is named for its upturned snout.

This heavy-bodied snake can reach lengths of 50 to 115 cm as an adult. The colour and pattern are highly variable. In juveniles and some adults there are large, dark blotches along the back, alternating with smaller blotches along the sides. The background colour can be grey, green, yellow, orange or brown.

Some adults have a solid dorsal colour of brown, olive, grey or black (melanistic). The belly can be cream or yellow with grey mottling. The underside of the tail is generally lighter than the rest of the belly.

Females will lay an average of 10 to 20 eggs in early summer, and young emerge in August or September. A prey specialist, the hog-nosed snake eats a diet primarily comprised of toads.

Above: Colours and patterns vary greatly - a melanistic hog-nosed.

Below: Snakes locate prey (primarily toads) by smell, using their tongues to collect airborne particles which are analyzed in their mouths.

Initially when found, this species will lie motionless, relying on its camouflage pattern to protect it. When threatened, it will try a number of tactics to escape harm. A master of fakery, this harmless snake will flatten its neck like a cobra, vibrate the tip of its tail, release a foul smelling liquid from its cloaca, assume a coiled defensive position, gape its mouth, hiss loudly and pretend to strike with a closed mouth. If none of these defences work, the snake will roll over and play dead, mouth open and tongue dangling to the side!

Photos: The many scare tactics of the harmless hog-nosed snake.

If staying quiet doesn't work, the hog-nose may flatten out its neck like a cobra, vibrate the tip of its tail, release a foul smelling liquid, coil up (left), gape its mouth (below left), hiss loudly, and pretend to strike with a closed mouth.

When all else fails, play dead (below right): This snake is hoping that whatever has disturbed it will lose interest and leave it in peace.

No other snake in Ontario has an upturned snout. The Massasauga rattlesnake is also a large, heavy-bodied snake, but it has vertical pupils, a rounded snout and usually a rattle at the end of its tail. In addition, the Massasauga rattlesnake does not occur in the UTRCA watershed.

Due to its large body size, slight resemblance to venomous species and elaborate defence displays, the harmless hog-nosed snake is often killed when encountered. Such human persecution, along with road mortality, loss of habitat, and prey specialization, have resulted in population declines across the species’ range. The hog-nosed snake is listed as “Threatened” and is protected both provincially and federally.

Sightings of this species in the watershed are being sought. For more information on this species, or other watershed reptiles and amphibians, contact: , Species at Risk Biologist

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