Like many toad-eating (bufophagous) snakes, H. platirhinos uses death feigning as defense against predation. Before death feigning it may spread is nuchal ribs to flatten its neck, while hissing and mock striking (Tennant, 2003). H. platirhinos will only strike with its nose, it is not known to actually bite. If further harassed, H. platirhinos may hide its head, writhe, regurgitate and defecate, then turn on its back with mouth open and tongue hanging out (Tennant, 2003).
Eastern hognose snake
H. platirhinos can reach a maximum length of 1 m, averaging between 50 to 84 cm. All species of this genus can be recognized by the characteristic upturned and pointed snout. The dorsal coloring in H. platirhinos varies greatly, it can be khaki-green, yellowish-brown, or reddish-brown, all patterned with various combinations of darker spots and splotches. Some individuals are entirely black, but most are yellowish with dark brown blotches (Tennant, 2003). Regardless of age or color, there is always a dark blotch behind the jaw. This blotch extends posteriorly along the sides of the neck. The ventral scales are typically gray (occasionally with orange blotches), and the underside of the tail is usually lighter than the rest of the belly (Tennant, 2003).
The body is H. platirhinos is stocky, with a short head that is not distinct from the wide neck (Tennant, 2003).
H. platirhinos is a toad specialist (Smith and White, 1955; Spaur and Smith, 1971; Tennant, 2007). H. platirhinos, like other toad-eating (bufophagous) snakes, has developed a resistance to the bufadienolide toxins found in the parotoid and skin glands of toads. Additionally, H. platirhinos has enlarged posterior teeth which help to puncture inflated toads (a defense mechanism commonly used by toads that make them too large to swallow) (Tennant, 2003).
Sandy substrate terrestrial environments, mixed hardwood and upland pine forests and forest/grassland boundaries. H. platirhinos will often turn up in recently disturbed areas (Tennant, 2003).
The southern hognose snake (H. simus) has a more upturned snout, and the underside of its tail and belly are the same uniform, pale, color (Tennant, 2003).
The plains hognose snake (H. nasicus), have a sandy ground color more of less uniformly, patterned with brown dorsolateral spots and their ventral scales are heavily pigmented with black spots (Tennant, 2003).
Smith and White (1955) reported that H. platirhinos possesses markedly enlarged adrenal glands. Subsequently, Spaur and Smith (1971) showed that the degree of enlargement is sexually dimorphic, with males possessing significantly larger adrenal glands. Recent observations on other bufophagous species (Rhabdophis tigrinus, Waglerophis merremii) have revealed these same features, suggesting that bufophagy may be related to enlargement, and possibly sexual dimorphism of adrenal glands (Mohammadi et al. unpublished).
