الأسماء في صفحات التنقل
Eastern hog-nosed snakes are known by a variety of names that reflect their unusual defensive mechanism and the fact that most people mistake them for venomous snakes. They are commonly called puff adders, spreadhead, hissing adder, sand adder, spreading viper, blowing viper, and blow snake. 'Viper' and 'adder' are common names for rattlesnakes.
Eastern hog-nosed snakes are sometimes preyed on by large birds of prey and snake-eating snakes such as milk snakes and blue racers. Few other animals have been observed eating them, despite their conspicuous habits and slow nature. This may be due, in part, to this snake's unique defensive behaviors, which act to startle and discourage other animals from eating them. When startled, eastern hog-nosed snakes will raise their head and neck, breathe in deeply, and flatten their neck into a cobra-like hood. This makes their two, large, neck blotches look something like large eyes, which may scare away many predators. They then begin to lunge and hiss, though they do not try to bite. They also coil and uncoil their tail, spreading feces and a foul-smelling secretion over their bodies. If this doesn't deter an attacker (or curious human), these snakes will begin to writhe and convulse. They drag themselves through the dirt, further smearing themselves with the bad smelling musk and feces, and sometimes throw up their last meal. Eventually they slow their convulsions, turn over on their back with their mouth open and tongue hanging out, and stiffen in a posture that makes them look dead. At this point they look and smell thoroughly disgusting. If turned right side up at this point, they will give themselves away by promptly turning upside down again. Once an attacker has been discouraged, they will eventually flip over and go on their way.
Known Predators:
Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic
Eastern hog-nosed snakes are moderately sized, thick-bodies snakes, with a total length ranging from 50 to 115 cm. They are marked, usually, with large darkish blotches on a background of gray, brown, tan, olive, or pinkish. The dark blotches alternate in rows along the length of their body, making them look somewhat like rattlesnakes. Some individuals lack this blotching or are overall black in color. Their most characteristic feature is their wide head, with a flattened, upturned snout. There is often a dark band extending behind their eyes and two, more distinct, large blotches directly behind the head. Belly color is tan, gray, cream, or pinkish. Males are slightly smaller than females, with relatively longer tails. Young eastern hog-nosed snakes are more distinctly marked than adults, with clear blotching even in animals that grow to have no blotches as adults. They hatch at a length of 12.5 to 25.4 cm. Eastern hog-nosed snakes are most often confused with rattlesnake species, but they are completely harmless. They can be distinguished from rattlesnakes because they lack rattles on the tail and do not have facial pits, as do all rattlesnakes.
Range length: 50.0 to 115.0 cm.
Other Physical Features: heterothermic
Sexual Dimorphism: female larger
Eastern hog-nosed snakes have been known to live for 11 years in captivity, but how long they live in the wild is unknown.
Range lifespan
Status: captivity: 11.0 (high) years.
Eastern hog-nosed snakes prefer areas with dry, loose soils but can be found in a wide variety of habitats, from pine forests or deciduous woodlands to prairies, meadows, and pastures.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: chaparral ; forest ; scrub forest
Eastern hog-nosed snakes are native only to the Nearctic. They are found throughout the United States east of the Rocky Mountains and into southern Canada. They are absent from some areas in the Great Lakes region, such as the areas south of Lakes Ontario and Erie and eastern Wisconsin.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
Eastern hog-nosed snakes are specialized for eating toads and frogs, though they also sometimes eat salamanders, small reptiles, reptile eggs, small mammals, such as mice, small songbirds, and insects. The majority of their diet, though, is made up of toads. Their digging abilities and wide mouths, flexible jaws, and curved teeth, make them good at finding and grabbing wide-bodied toads. Toads often inflate themselves with air to prevent being eaten by snakes and this snake's wide gape allows them to handle even puffed up toads. They also have a pair of enlarged teeth at the back of their mouth which some say act to puncture inflated toads, though this has never been shown. Eastern hog-nosed snakes also produce hormones that allow them to deal with the toxic skin secretions of toads, making them safe for these animals to eat. They also have specialized salivary glands which secrete a slightly toxic substance that has the effect of subduing amphibians, though it is harmless to humans and other animals.
Animal Foods: birds; mammals; amphibians; reptiles; insects
Primary Diet: carnivore (Eats terrestrial vertebrates)
Eastern hog-nosed snakes have a significant influence on frog and toad populations.
Eastern hog-nosed snakes are important members of healthy ecosystems. They may contribute to limiting pest populations, such as insects and small mammals.
Positive Impacts: controls pest population
There are no negative effects of eastern hog-nosed snakes on humans.
Eastern hog-nosed snakes are harmless but are often mistaken for venomous rattlesnake species. As a result, most encounters with humans probably end in death for this unique snake. These snakes are also often killed on roadways and by farm machinery or recreational vehicles. Although much of their preferred habitat remains throughout their range (though habitat destruction also affects them), their numbers have declined drastically. Their number may continue to decline as toad populations decline, which seems to be a general trend in eastern North America.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
Like other snakes, eastern hog-nosed snakes, rely primarily on their sense of smell to sense their environment and communicate with others, mostly during breeding. They also are sensitive to vibrations and have fair eyesight.
Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; chemical
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; vibrations ; chemical
Eastern hog-nosed snakes mate in the spring and sometimes in the fall. In June or July they lay a clutch of 4 to 61 eggs in a shallow burrow. The eggs increase in size during incubation, which lasts for 50 to 65 days. Young hatch in late August or September. Young eastern hog-nosed snakes will expand their necks and hiss, and even play dead, before they have completely freed themselves from their eggshell, if startled. The young grow rapidly at first, but growth slows as they approach maturity at 2 to 3 years old.
Breeding interval: Eastern hog-nosed snakes breed once each year.
Breeding season: Mating occurs in April or May and egg laying in June or July.
Range number of offspring: 4.0 to 61.0.
Range gestation period: 65.0 (high) days.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 2.0 to 3.0 years.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 2.0 to 3.0 years.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; sexual ; fertilization ; oviparous
Females lay their eggs in a burrow, there is no further parental care.
Parental Investment: no parental involvement; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female)
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).
The eastern hog-nosed snake[3] (Heterodon platirhinos), also known as the spreading adder[4] and by various other common names, is a species of mildly venomous rear-fanged snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to North America.[5] There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.[3]
H. platirhinos is found from eastern-central Minnesota, and Wisconsin to southern Ontario and extreme southern New Hampshire, south to southern Florida and west to eastern Texas and western Kansas.[6]
Studies have shown that H. platirhinos prefers upland sandy pine-forests, old-fields and forest edges.[7] Like most of the genus Heterodon, the Eastern Hognose Snake prefers dry conditions with loose soil for burrowing purposes.[8] These loose soils are preferable habitat components for nesting and egg laying.[9] At the northern end of their range, they have been found to prefer developed lands as their desired habitat followed by mixed forests dominated by hemlock trees.[10] Based on a study in Canada, the average home range size is about 40 hectares.[7] Some individuals will travel outside of their home range in search of mates and nesting sites.
The average adult H. platirhinos measures 71 cm (28 in) in total length (including tail), with females being larger than males. The maximum recorded total length is 116 cm (46 in).[11]
The generic name Heterodon is derived from the Greek words heteros meaning "different" and odon meaning "tooth". The specific name platirhinos is derived from the Greek words platys meaning "broad or flat" and rhinos meaning "snout".[12]
The most distinguishing feature is the upturned snout, used for digging in sandy soils.
The color pattern is extremely variable. It can be red, green, orange, brown, gray to black, or any combination thereof depending on locality. Dorsally, it can be blotched, checkered, or patternless. The belly tends to be a solid gray, yellow, or cream-colored. In this species the underside of the tail is lighter than the belly.[13]
Although H. platirhinos is rear-fanged, it is often considered nonvenomous because it is not harmful to humans. Heterodon means "different tooth", which refers to the enlarged teeth at the rear of the upper jaw. These teeth inject a mild amphibian-specific venom into prey. The fangs receive the venom from the snake's Duvernoy's gland.[14] Bitten humans who are allergic to the saliva have been known to experience local swelling, but no human deaths have been documented.
Common names for H. platirhinos include eastern hog-nosed snake,[3] spreading adder, spread'em outer, hog-nosed snake, adder, bastard rattlesnake, black adder, black blowing viper, black hog-nosed snake, black viper snake, blauser, blower, blowing adder, blowing snake, blow(ing) viper, blow snake, buckwheat-nose snake, calico snake, checkered adder, checquered adder, chunk head, common hog-nosed snake, common spreading adder, deaf adder, eastern hognose snake, flat-head, flat-head(ed) adder, hay-nose snake, hissing adder, hissing snake, hog-nosed adder, hog-nosed rattler, hog-nose snake, hog-nosed viper, hissing viper, (mountain) moccasin, North American adder, North American hog-nosed snake, pilot, poison viper, puff(ing) adder, red snake, rock adder, rossel bastard, sand adder, sand viper, spotted (spreading) adder, spread nelly, spread-head moccasin, spread-head snake, spread-head viper, flat-head adder (spreading) viper.[4]
This species, H. platirhinos, is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Year assessed: 2007).[15] However, it is a species of increasing conservation concern, especially in the northeastern part of its range.[16][17][18][19] Of the five states in the northeast U.S. where the eastern hognose snake occurs, it currently has "listed" conservation status in four (Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island).[20] Noted declines are believed to be the result of direct anthropogenic pressures including habitat loss and fragmentation, road mortality, environmental degradation, and intentional killing.[21][22] Some of this habitat fragmentation may be due to eastern hognose snakes having a reluctance to cross paved roads.[23]
When the eastern hognose snake is threatened, the neck is flattened and the head is raised off the ground, like a cobra. It also hisses and will strike with its mouth closed, but it does not attempt to bite. The result can be likened to a high speed head-butt. If this threat display does not work to deter a would-be predator, an eastern hognose snake will often roll onto its back and play dead, going so far as to emit a foul musk from its cloaca and let its tongue hang out of its mouth.[13][24][25] One individual was observed playing dead for 45 minutes before reanimating and moving away.[26] This death-feigning behavior was also observed often in water habitats.[27]
The eastern hognose snake feeds extensively on amphibians, and has a particular fondness for toads. This snake has resistance to the toxins toads secrete. This immunity is thought to come from enlarged adrenal glands which secrete large amounts of hormones to counteract the toads' powerful skin poisons. At the rear of each upper jaw, it has greatly enlarged teeth, which are neither hollow nor grooved, with which it punctures and deflates toads to be able to swallow them whole.[11][24][28] It will also consume other amphibians, such as frogs and salamanders. Because it is a toad feeding specialist, its venom has been modified to be greatly effective against toads and has not been found to be harmful to humans.[29]
Eastern hognose snakes are occasionally available in the exotic pet trade, but due to their specific dietary requirements, they are not as readily available as other species. Generally, they refuse feeder rodents unless they are scented with amphibians. In Canada, Eastern hognose snakes are considered to be a species-at-risk (COSEWIC designation: Threatened), and consequently capture or harassment of these animals, including their captive trade, is illegal.
These snakes live for approximately 12 years. They shed their skin periodically to grow and develop.
Eastern hognose snakes mate in April and May. Females lay their eggs in small soil depressions, mammal burrows, or under rocks.[9] Some females have been observed traveling past viable nesting conditions in order to reach communal nesting sites.[30]The females, which lay 8–40 eggs (average about 25) in June or early July, do not take care of the eggs or young. The eggs, which measure about 33 mm × 23 mm (1+1⁄3 in × 1 in), hatch after about 60 days, from late July to September. The hatchlings are 16.5–21 cm (6.5–8.3 in) long.[25] They have an average nest temperature of 23-26 degrees Celsius incubating for an average of 49-63 days.[9]
H. platirhinos eating a toad.
H. platirhinos.
H. platirhinos dark color pattern.
H. platirhinos in a Florida orange grove.
The eastern hog-nosed snake (Heterodon platirhinos), also known as the spreading adder and by various other , is a species of mildly venomous rear-fanged snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to North America. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.
La serpiente de hocico de cerdo oriental (Heterodon platirhinos),[2] es una especie de reptil inofensivo de la familia Colubridae. Habita en el sur de Estados Unidos y el norte de México.[3] No se conocen subespecies.[2]
Presentan dimorfismo sexual, pues la hembra es más grande que el macho. Son moderadamente gruesas, con una longitud total de 50 a 115 cm. Están marcados, por lo general, con grandes manchas oscuras sobre un fondo de color gris, marrón, beige, oliva o rosáceo. Su rasgo más característico es su gran cabeza y por la forma aplastada de su nariz que se parece a la de los cerdos. El color del vientre es gris, crema o rosado. Incuban en una longitud de 12,5 a 25,4 cm. Son a menudo confundidas con las serpientes de cascabel, pero son completamente inofensivas. Se las puede distinguir de estas serpientes, porque carecen de sonajeros en la cola y no tienen fosetas loreales propias de los cascabeles.[4]
La serpientes de hocico de cerdo orientales prefieren las zonas con suelos secos y sueltos, pero se pueden encontrar en una gran variedad de hábitats, desde bosques de pinos o bosques de hoja caduca a praderas. Han llegado a vivir durante 11 años en cautiverio, pero el tiempo que viven en la naturaleza es desconocida.
Resulta totalmente inofensiva para los seres humanos y para las grandes aves y mamíferos. Cuando esta serpiente se siente amenazada es capaz de imitar a la perfección a una víbora, estirando el cuello, siseando y contoneándose como tal para que sus posibles atacantes emprendan la huida. Si la estrategia no logra ahuyentar al enemigo, se retuerce y se agita como si sufriera convulsiones y, para terminar su escena, se tumba con el vientre hacia arriba y la boca abierta, simulando su propia muerte.[5]
Están activas principalmente durante el día, a pesar de que pueden limitar la actividad a las mañanas y las tardes cuando el clima está caliente. Se alimentan y toman el sol al aire libre, pero normalmente están bajo tierra, troncos o escombros. Construyen sus propias madrigueras o amplían la de otros animales. Hibernan en madrigueras profundas o bajo troncos de árboles desde finales de octubre hasta principios de abril. Son animales solitarios.
Al igual que otras serpientes, la culebra de hocico de cerdo oriental, se basan principalmente en su sentido del olfato para percibir su entorno y comunicarse. También son sensibles a las vibraciones.
Su dieta principal se basa en sapos y ranas, aunque también comen salamandras, pequeños reptiles, huevos de reptiles, pequeños mamíferos como ratones, pequeños pájaros e insectos. Estas serpientes también producen hormonas que les permiten incluso devorar sapos tóxicos, lo que hace que sea seguro comerlos. También poseen glándulas salivales que secretan una sustancia ligeramente tóxica con las que pueden someter a los anfibios, aunque es inofensivo para los seres humanos y otros animales.
La serpiente de hocico de cerdo oriental (Heterodon platirhinos), es una especie de reptil inofensivo de la familia Colubridae. Habita en el sur de Estados Unidos y el norte de México. No se conocen subespecies.
Heterodon platirhinos Heterodon generoko animalia da. Narrastien barruko Dipsadidae familian sailkatuta dago.
Heterodon platirhinos Heterodon generoko animalia da. Narrastien barruko Dipsadidae familian sailkatuta dago.
Heterodon platirhinos, la Couleuvre à nez plat[1], est une espèce de serpents de la famille des Dipsadidae[2].
Cette espèce se rencontre[2] :
Les adultes atteignent environ 70 centimètres, les femelles étant plus grandes que les mâles. La couleur est très variable selon les individus, incluant du rouge, du vert, de l'orange, du brun et des variantes de gris. Ces reptiles ont en général des motifs plus ou moins réguliers sur tout le dos.
Ils produisent du venin mais ne sont pas dangereux pour l'homme car ils ne mordent normalement que pour se nourrir et non pour se défendre.
Ces serpents ovipares se nourrissent de divers amphibiens dont certaines grenouilles produisant des toxines auxquelles ils sont immunisés.
Heterodon platirhinos, la Couleuvre à nez plat, est une espèce de serpents de la famille des Dipsadidae.
Heterodon platirhinos là một loài rắn trong họ Rắn nước. Loài này được Latreille mô tả khoa học đầu tiên năm 1801.[2] Chúng là một loài colubridae không độc loài đặc hữu của Bắc Mỹ. Không phân loài hiện đang được công nhận.
Heterodon platirhinos được tìm thấy ở miền đông Trung bộ Minnesota và Wisconsin tới miền nam Ontario, Canada và cực nam New Hampshire, miền Nam tới miền nam Florida và phía tây đến miền đông Texas và miền tây Kansas.
Cá thể trưởng thành dài trung bình đo 71 cm (thân + đuôi), với con cái lớn hơn so với nam giới. Cá thể dài nhất được ghi nhận dài 116 cm. Đặc điểm phân biệt nhất là mõm hếch, được sử dụng cho đào trong đất cát. Kiểu màu sắc rất khác nhau. Vảy có thể có màu đỏ, xanh lá cây, cam, nâu, xám đen, hoặc bất kỳ sự kết hợp tùy thuộc vào địa phương. Chúng có thể được blotched, rô, hoặc patternless. Bụng có xu hướng là một màu xám rắn, màu vàng hoặc màu kem. Trong loài này dưới của đuôi là nhẹ hơn so với bụng[3].
Mặc dù H. platyrhinos có răng nanh phía sau, nó thường được coi loài không độc vì nó không có hại cho con người. Heterodon có nghĩa là "răng khác nhau", trong đó đề cập đến các răng mở rộng ở phía sau của hàm trên. Những răng tiêm một nọc lưỡng cư cụ thể nhẹ vào con mồi, và cũng được sử dụng để "chọc xì hơi" con cóc phồng như quả bóng để dễ nuốt hơn. Con người bị chúng cắn người dị ứng với nước bọt đã được biết đến để trải nghiệm sưng tại chỗ, nhưng không có trường hợp tử vong đã được ghi nhận.
Loài này được phân loại là loài ít quan tâm trong sách đỏ IUCN về các loài bị đe dọa (năm đánh giá: 2007)[4]. Tuy nhiên, nó là một loài gia tăng mối quan tâm bảo tồn, đặc biệt là ở phần đông bắc của phạm vi của nó.[5][6][7][8]. Các tiểu bang ở phía đông bắc Hoa Kỳ, nơi loài này hiện diện, nó hiện đã "liệt kê" tình trạng bảo tồn trong bốn (Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York và Rhode Island). [13] giảm chú ý được cho là kết quả của những áp lực do con người trực tiếp bao gồm mất môi trường sống và phân mảnh, chết khi băng qua đường, suy thoái môi trường, và giết người có chủ ý.[9] Noted declines are believed to be the result of direct anthropogenic pressures including habitat loss and fragmentation, road mortality, environmental degradation, and intentional killing.[10][11].
Khi bị đe dọa, các cổ là phẳng và đầu được nâng lên khỏi mặt đất, không giống như một con rắn hổ mang. Chúng cũng rít và sẽ tấn công, nhưng không cố gắng để cắn. Nếu mối đe dọa này là từ động vật ăn thịt, loài rắn này thường cuộn lên lưng nó và giả chết, phát ra một mùi xạ hương hôi từ lỗ huyệt của nó và để cho lưỡi của nó treo trên miệng của nó[3][12][13].
Chúng chủ yếu là động vật lưỡng cư, và đặc biệt thích ăn cóc. Loài rắn này có sức đề kháng với độc tố cóc tiết ra. Khả năng miễn dịch này được cho là đến từ tuyến thượng thận phì đại mà tiết ra một lượng lớn các kích thích tố để chống lại chất độc da mạnh mẽ của con cóc. Ở phía sau của mỗi hàm trên, chúng có răng lớn có hình, mà không phải là rỗng cũng không có rãnh, giúp chục chọc thủng làm cóc xì hơi để dễ nuốt.[12][14][15] Chúng cũng ăn động vật lưỡng cư khác, giống như ếch và kỳ nhông.
Schmdt&Dvs1941
Bài viết liên quan phân họ rắn Colubrinae này vẫn còn sơ khai. Bạn có thể giúp Wikipedia bằng cách mở rộng nội dung để bài được hoàn chỉnh hơn. Heterodon platirhinos là một loài rắn trong họ Rắn nước. Loài này được Latreille mô tả khoa học đầu tiên năm 1801. Chúng là một loài colubridae không độc loài đặc hữu của Bắc Mỹ. Không phân loài hiện đang được công nhận.
東部豬鼻蛇（學名：Heterodon platirhinos）是蛇亞目新蛇科異齒蛇亞科豬鼻蛇屬下的一個蛇種，主要分布於北美洲。目前尚未有任何亞種被確認。[1][2]
成年的東部豬鼻蛇體長約有71公分長，而雌性則比雄性更為長大。此類蛇的最大特色是其鼻端位置微微朝上方崛起，用途是方便於在泥土間到處翻鑽，因其外表仿如豬鼻而得名。東部豬鼻蛇的身體顏色有極多變化，可以有紅色、綠色、橙色、棕色、灰色及黑色，又或以上述顏色為主的各種組合。牠們的體紋同樣變化多端，既有格紋式，又有斑點式，亦可以光滑而無半點花紋。腹部顏色則多為泥灰色、黃色或乳白色。東部豬鼻蛇是屬於後齒類蛇種，能分泌少量毒液，不過牠們的毒素對於人體傷害並不大，而且牠們亦不輕易對人類作出咬擊。
每當東部豬鼻蛇受到威脅時，牠們的頸部會因繃緊而變得扁平，而且會迅即把自己的頭部揚起，與眼鏡蛇有著一致的行為。不過牠們亦會向敵人發出嘶嘶聲，甚至裝出咬擊的姿態，但牠們並不會真的作出咬擊。如果這個自衛姿態並不能把對手嚇退的話，豬鼻蛇會把身子蜷起來，從嘴鼻位置釋出難聞的氣味，並讓自己的舌頭垂在嘴巴外面，以假死法來欺騙對手。
目前東部豬鼻蛇被世界自然保護聯盟瀕危物種紅色名錄列為「無危」（LC）級別。[3]這主要因為牠們在所屬地區上有著廣泛的分布，為數亦不少，加上最近未發現有物種遽降或面臨危機的現象，蛇群的保育發展理想而穩定，所以歸入無危級別。[4]
東部豬鼻蛇特別喜歡吃蟾蜍，其身體更有對抗蟾蜍毒素的免疫能力。另外，牠們也會進食其它兩棲動物，例如蛙類、蠑螈等。東部豬鼻蛇是一種常見的寵物蛇種，不過牠們的飲食習慣亦相當不容易處理。經過證明顯示，原來在進食齧齒目動物的時候，東部豬鼻蛇的肝臟是會出現問題的，這些問題甚至會影響牠們的壽命。[5]在加拿大，東部豬鼻蛇是一種當地的瀕危物種，因此對牠們進行捕獵與及買賣是犯法的行為。
東部豬鼻蛇壽命大概有12年，牠們與一般的蛇類一樣以蛻皮的方式成長。雌性東部豬鼻蛇每次能生產10至30枚蛇卵，60日後蛇卵便會孵化，不過事後母蛇並不會照料幼蛇的生活。
|access-date=中的日期值 (帮助) 
分類 界 : 動物界 Animalia 門 : 脊索動物門 Chordata 亜門 : 脊椎動物亜門 Vertebrata 綱 : 爬虫綱 Reptilia 目 : 有鱗目 Squamata 亜目 : ヘビ亜目 Serpentes 科 : マイマイヘビ科 Dipsadidae 属 : シシバナヘビ属 Heterodon 種 : トウブシシバナヘビトウブシシバナヘビ（東部猪鼻蛇、Heterodon platirhinos）は、マイマイヘビ科シシバナヘビ属に分類されるヘビ。シシバナヘビ属の模式種。
模式標本の産地（模式産地）はフィラデルフィア周辺（ペンシルベニア州）。
アメリカ合衆国（アイオワ州、アーカンソー州、アラバマ州、イリノイ州、インディアナ州、ウィスコンシン州、ウエストバージニア州、オクラホマ州、オハイオ州、カンザス州、ケンタッキー州、コネティカット州、サウスカロライナ州、サウスダコタ州南東部、ジョージア州、テキサス州東部、テネシー州、デラウェア州、ニューハンプシャー州南部、ニューヨーク州南東部、ネブラスカ州東部、ノースカロライナ州、バージニア州、バーモント州南部、フロリダ州、ペンシルベニア州、マサチューセッツ州、ミシガン州、ミシシッピ州、ミズーリ州、ミネソタ州東部、メリーランド州、ルイジアナ州、ロードアイランド州）、カナダ（オンタリオ州南部）
全長は30-80cm。最大全長137cm。体形は非常に太い。胴体中央部の斜めに列になった背面の鱗の数（体列鱗数）は23か25。総排出口までの腹面にある幅の広い鱗の数（腹板数）は114-150。腹面の総排出口から後部の鱗の数（尾下板数）は37-60。体色の変異は大きく、黒化型の個体も比較的多い。背面には16-31個の暗色の斑紋が入る。腹面の鱗（腹板）は暗色で、腹面の総排出口から後部の鱗（尾下板）の色彩は腹板より淡い。
吻端の鱗（吻端板）はシシバナヘビ属内ではあまり反りあがらない。種小名platirhinosは「平たい角」の意。吻端板と前額板の間には対にならない小型の鱗が1枚入るが、稀に小型の鱗が無い個体や2枚入る個体もいる。左右の前額板は間に小さい鱗が入らないため接する。
唾液に獲物を痺れさせる毒がある。
食性は動物食で、主にカエルを食べる。
繁殖形態は卵生。
ペットとして飼育されることもあり、日本にも輸入されている。抱卵した野生個体を採集しその個体から産まれた繁殖個体が少数流通し、野生個体が稀に流通する。ケージは脱走されないような物を用いる。床材としてウッドチップやウッドシェイブ、メンテナンス性を重視するならキッチンペーパー等を用いるがこまめに交換するようにする。多くの個体はヘビ用の餌として専門店等でコンスタントに入手できるマウスに餌付いていないことが多く、またマウスに餌付きにくい。餌の面から属内でも飼育の難しい種とされ、累代飼育下繁殖例もほとんど知られていない。唾液には毒があるが、人に対して威嚇等で噛みついてくることはない。しかし給餌中に餌と間違えて噛みつくことがあるため注意が必要。長時間噛まれた際に患部が腫れあがった例があるため、長めのピンセットを用いたり夜間に置き餌をする等してなるべく給餌中の接触は避ける。
|date= (help)CS1 maint: Uses authors parameter 