# weird snake



## horsecreek (Apr 11, 2005)

Saw this dude 2 weeks ago. He would flatten out to make himself look 3 times his normall size. guess its a defense thing. He even started crawling and had his head down --bout 4 inchs -stuck up in air.. lookin like a wanabe cobra....

anyone ever seen this type of snake?????


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## coon dawg (Apr 11, 2005)

*Eastern Hog Nose...........*

act fierce......couldn't get one of 'em to bite ya on a bet!


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## killNgrill (Apr 11, 2005)

I am not 100% but i think that is a cottonmouth. If i recall they can flatten out their entire body. Pretty scary lookin dude though. Maybe ask Snakeman.


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## coon dawg (Apr 11, 2005)

*ps---*

if the scare tactics don't work, they'll play dead on ya. ....not venemous, bud............make pretty good pets, if you are so inclined.


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## rip18 (Apr 11, 2005)

*It is... an eastern hognose.*

It is the dreaded and deadly "puff adder".  I also had a fella tell me once that a snake of the same species was an "African vipon"  (I guess that is a cross between a viper & a python?) - he had looked it up in a "cyclopedia."

It is an eastern hognose snake - _Heterodon platyrhinos_.  They are called puff adders, spreading adders, spreading snakes, and several other names that slip my memory right now.

They spread out like a cobra (but more than a hood) & hiss.  They may also vomit up toads & frogs in an effort to scare you away.  If bothered some more, they will play possum.  They will writhe around, and turn bottom side upwards.  When turned upright, they promptly turn back over.  

Pretty cool snakes.  They don't eat anything but toads & frogs.  If you put them in a cage with mice or pinkies (baby mice), they very rarely eat a pinkie.  They usually gobble a toad right up.  When they have their mouth open hissing & spreading, you can usually ( more than 999 out of 1,000) put your finger in their mouth, & they won't even bite it.  The less than 1 time out of 1000 that they do close their mouth & bite is when you are showing your mother how docile these snakes really are.  Don't ask me how I know, & her doesn't even matter that you are a married adult living in your own place... 

PS - Guess I type too slow (or is that too much?).  Coondog et al had already beat me to it.  My already type response to Coondog's observation that they don't bit is written above as well....


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## Jeff Phillips (Apr 11, 2005)

That's a Copper Headed Water Rattler   

Cool descriptions and great pic


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## 6wheeler (Apr 11, 2005)

*Hognose*

snakes are pretty cool. Some of the older folks down here call them "death adders" in that they can scare you half to death by looking like a cobra. I had one about three foot long hanging around the house last year and she had four babies. On a side note one of the babies came out into the yard when a "city" friend was visiting. I told him it was a cobra that had gotten loose from a zoo. I touched it with a stick and it raised up and flattened its head out. Next thing I know I hear my backdoor slam. That ol' boy sure could run like greased lightening.    I later told him about the snake and how it was no danger to him. I think he is still PO'd at me about that deal.


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## Augie (Apr 11, 2005)

Eastern Hognose. 

Pic in this link looks more brown,but if you click on the "Young Snake Link" it shows the markings better.
http://www.floridabackyardsnakes.com/EasternHognose.htm

Well I didn't see all the other posts before I posted this.

Yep, used to call them Puff Adder too, and had some as pets when I was a kid.


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## Loafy (Apr 11, 2005)

My wife and kids ran into a "spreadin adder" in the drive way yesterday. He put on quite a show for them.

My wife actually got the kids out of the truck to look at it. She's pretty cool sometimes!


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## horsecreek (Apr 11, 2005)

thanks guys.....
he freaked us out when we walked up on him

when I looked at the link and online pics--they look nothing like he did...different markings...do they look different at diff ages I guess?


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## Randy (Apr 11, 2005)

I think it is a "Brown" snake.  The kind that makes your pants turn "brown" because you thought it was something posinous.


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## rip18 (Apr 11, 2005)

Horsecreek -

     There are different color "morphs" of the eastern hognose - reddish, grayish, blackish, pure black, etc.  Pattern is pretty set, but how well it is differentiated varies.  Pattern can vary some with age & with how close the individual is to shedding.

     There are a LOT of people who have been freaked out by these little guys.


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## coon dawg (Apr 11, 2005)

*ya can't mistake one........*

their noses sorta point up.........hence the name.


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## leadoff (Apr 11, 2005)

The hognose has all the tricks in the book!  Won't the hognose even vibrate its tail to mimic a rattler?

My favorite, though, is the "playin' dead" routine.  Roll that snake over on his belly, and he rolls right back over on his back..."Come on, dude, can't you see I'm dead!!??"


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## Razorback (Apr 11, 2005)

My son & I had an encounter w/ an Eatern Indigo Snake this past weekend. At least I think it was an Eatern Indigo Snake.  

We were riding our 4 wheelers on our newly clear cut property.  I thought I was about to ride over a "cable" on the ground but it was a blueish black snake, about 5 feet long.  As soon as we got off our bikes he coiled up like he was going to strike & vibrated his tail aginst the leaves, pinestraw & sticks.  Pretty cool to watch.  After watching him a bit I got a big long stick & tried to pick him up.  He slid off the stick & scooted away under my 4 wheeler & disapered under my son's 4 wheeler. We looked & looked but he was gone.    Yep you guessed it right, he went up & into my son/s 4 wheeler & stopped under his seat!    I pulled the seat off & he flew off the bike & off into the brush.

Razorback


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## horsecreek (Apr 11, 2005)

that could have been bad..if that snake would of come out why yall riding, there would have been ELMO everywhere....


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## TurkeyManiac (Apr 11, 2005)

Hognose.    No question.  If you keep messin with him he will flip over and  play dead. You wont be able to flip him back. He will keep on turning himself over and then secret a musky scent.   They are really cool.


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## Augie (Apr 11, 2005)

Razorback said:
			
		

> My son & I had an encounter w/ an Eatern Indigo Snake this past weekend. At least I think it was an Eatern Indigo Snake.
> 
> We were riding our 4 wheelers on our newly clear cut property.  I thought I was about to ride over a "cable" on the ground but it was a blueish black snake, about 5 feet long.  As soon as we got off our bikes he coiled up like he was going to strike & vibrated his tail aginst the leaves, pinestraw & sticks.  Pretty cool to watch.  After watching him a bit I got a big long stick & tried to pick him up.  He slid off the stick & scooted away under my 4 wheeler & disapered under my son's 4 wheeler. We looked & looked but he was gone.    Yep you guessed it right, he went up & into my son/s 4 wheeler & stopped under his seat!    I pulled the seat off & he flew off the bike & off into the brush.
> 
> Razorback




Too bad you couldn't have got a picture. Indigo's are a threatened species and a rare treat to see in most places I know of, I had one go under my treestand in the Lower Suwannee Reserve Fl. about 12 years ago and it was at least 8 to 10'.
Had several as pets when I was a kid in the 1960's
I think I may have seen the first one on our property just a couple weeks ago, but I just saw a portion of a fat body in thick grass and by the time I got the tractor backed up it was gone. I sure hope that's what it is, it'd be great to get some pics.
http://www.floridabackyardsnakes.com/EasternIndigo.htm


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## Razorback (Apr 11, 2005)

Augie,  

The worst part of the encounter was, I did have a camera, but was to intrigued by the snake to get it out

Horsecreek,

The funny part was after the snake disapered we were heading back to camp to load my son's 4 wheeler in the back of the van.  But I had to check the under seat jut to be sure.

Razorback


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## HT2 (Apr 11, 2005)

Bad Snake!!!!!!!!!!!

Bad Snake!!!!!!!!!!!

Bad Snake!!!!!!!!!!!


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## GA_Longhorn (Apr 11, 2005)

*Or maybe.....*



			
				Jeff Phillips said:
			
		

> That's a Copper Headed Water Rattler
> 
> Cool descriptions and great pic


Jeff....that could be a cotton-headed rattle moccasin.


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## Timberman (Apr 11, 2005)

*Tricks you can play with a hog nose snake...*

When my brother wuz just startin out he worked for the DOF in Coffee co. His young bride would make Bundt cakes and he'd take em to work. They were a hit with the guys at work and usually not make it a full day. One day riding to work with a fresh Bundt cake beside him he came up a hog nose crossing the road. Realizing the opportunity, he caught the snake and substituted him for the cake in the closeable cake pan. Put it in the break room and said nothing. A little later he said it sounded like someone was taking cymbal lessons in there....  

I threw one into a log loader once...I'll think of some more in a while...


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## Snakeman (Apr 12, 2005)

Yep, it's a hognosed snake.

But just a reminder to everybody (in Georgia) all non-poisonous indigenous snakes are protected by the Non-Game Species Act of 1987(?).  It is therefore unlawful to fold, spindle, mutilate, harass, or keep as a pet any non-poisonous indigenous snake.

The Snakeman


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## Carp (Apr 12, 2005)

I  took this today in my backyard. 1 each, Hognose.


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## Lead Poison (Apr 12, 2005)

Rip18 good call. You know your snakes. I use to see a lot of these growing up as a kid.


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## red tail (Apr 12, 2005)

Great snake pic. I havent seen many in the woods this year. and my pound usually is full of them, but havent seen any there either.


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## Augie (Apr 12, 2005)

Don't fold or mutilate it, now that there's sattelite tv in Ga. your kids can't have one for a pet either!
Of course elmo eye for the straight guy is just fine though...
Back in the '60's Snake pets were all we had for entertainment.
Oh! You can't dig an artifact that's 10.000 years old there on your private property without a permit.
Did I mention non indigenous pigs can't be baited without a permit either?
What Georgia is on this contenent??
I guess it's not marxism?
Dang Florida hunters mess this elmo for all, I guess!       
I digress, Judy says I have to go to bed now...
Goodnight


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## horsecreek (Apr 14, 2005)

we let this guy go on his way. I hope he doesnt scare the elmo out of me one day...


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