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When I'm out on the trail and see a snake it is almost inevitable that the theme to Indiana Jones will pop in my head. Is it just me this phenomenon happens to?
Today I stumbled across an Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon platirhinos) sunning himself on the trail. When I got too close he froze, raised his head and spread his neck (a lot like a cobra does). Seeing this obvious warning I back off a few feet and crouched down on the trail. Seeing I wasn't a threat, he started to slither away, but after seeing me not make any movement his curiosity got the best of him. He made a wide loop around me then headed directly towards me. I admit, I wondered what I was going to do if he actually touched me but I held my ground and kept perfectly still. Luckily he stopped a foot away from me. With his head pointed directly at me and his tongue flickering away, he clearly wanted to know what I was about. I must have been boring, after a few seconds he moved off the trail and disappeared back in the underbrush. It's always a thrill to come so close to such an unusual looking animal (seriously, how many cobra-like snakes have you ever seen up close?).
Now you may be wondering what the title of todays post is about (especially pair with the photo above). That my friends is what hognoses are famous for. When they feel threatened they freak out using a fantastic display to scare off their would-be predators. They will hiss and sometimes feign strikes, but don't actually bite. If this display doesn't work they will often roll onto their back and play dead, going so far as to emit a nasty smell and let their tongue hang out of their mouth. If they are rolled upright while in this state, they will often roll back as if insisting they are really dead. Almost worth provoking them to see this....almost.
Today I stumbled across an Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon platirhinos) sunning himself on the trail. When I got too close he froze, raised his head and spread his neck (a lot like a cobra does). Seeing this obvious warning I back off a few feet and crouched down on the trail. Seeing I wasn't a threat, he started to slither away, but after seeing me not make any movement his curiosity got the best of him. He made a wide loop around me then headed directly towards me. I admit, I wondered what I was going to do if he actually touched me but I held my ground and kept perfectly still. Luckily he stopped a foot away from me. With his head pointed directly at me and his tongue flickering away, he clearly wanted to know what I was about. I must have been boring, after a few seconds he moved off the trail and disappeared back in the underbrush. It's always a thrill to come so close to such an unusual looking animal (seriously, how many cobra-like snakes have you ever seen up close?).
Now you may be wondering what the title of todays post is about (especially pair with the photo above). That my friends is what hognoses are famous for. When they feel threatened they freak out using a fantastic display to scare off their would-be predators. They will hiss and sometimes feign strikes, but don't actually bite. If this display doesn't work they will often roll onto their back and play dead, going so far as to emit a nasty smell and let their tongue hang out of their mouth. If they are rolled upright while in this state, they will often roll back as if insisting they are really dead. Almost worth provoking them to see this....almost.
Picture found at: Amphibians and Reptiles of NC
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