Missouri Animals Eastern hognose snake   (Heterodon platyrhinos) Chordate: Vertebrate: Reptile: Serpentia: Colubridae Native North American snake Habitat: open fields, rocky open hillsides. Diet: toads, frogs, occasional salamanders.. ID Features: dark colored snake with flat pig nose, imitates cobra when threatened, will play dead when severely threatened. Natural History: The eastern hognose snake is also called the puff adder because of its peculiar defensive behavior. They will flatten their head, hiss, and strike, then go into convulsions, open their mouth, writhe, defacate, and play dead in order to deter an attacker. They are found on sandy or loose soil substrates..

The graphics and text are from: The Amphibians and Reptiles of Missouri by Tom R. Johnson, Missouri Department of Conservation, ©1992