Eastern Hog-nosed Snake

Photo Credit: A.B. Sheldon

Family: Colubridae (Non-venomous snakes)
Status: Common
Size: 20-35 inches

This medium-sized snake also referred to as a "puff adder", has a sharply upturned snout, which earned this snake its name. The back has dark brown blotches on a brown-gold background color, and the underside varies from mottled yellow to mottled gray or pink.

Large, older adults are usually dark brown or gray and maybe patternless. Most hognose snakes have a pair of dark black blotches on their neck that resemble "eyespots" when they flatten their neck. Habitats include bracken grassland, oak savanna and sand prairies, but they may be seen in the southern forest. Their diet consists mainly of toads but other amphibians are also eaten.