| The Eastern Hog-nosed uses its up-turned nose to hunt for it's prefered prey, toads. In fact, the Hog-nosed feeds almost exclusively on toads. These remarkable reptiles can be found in meadows or in areas that are wooded or have sandy soils. |
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Females will lay between 10 and 18 eggs in a sheltered area (under leaves or logs) in mid summer. Young hatch about two months later. When threatened, Hog-noses go through an elaborate defence display. First they will flatten their neck and hiss, as if it were a cobra. If the antagonist continues to bother it, the snake will roll onto it's back and play dead. Unfortunately, people often fall for the snakes cobra act, and kill a number of these harmless and beneficial snakes each year. The Eastern Hog-nosed Snake is listed as Vulnerable by the Ministry of Natural Resources. |
