I want to add this, the problem in captivity is, the prey, toads, are also captive and cannot escape. In nature, when out, toads, have escape behaviors, and puff up when caught buried.

Hognose and all snakes for that manner, do what they can. Of course they will catch a toad on the surface if the toad cannot escape. Of course they utilize the methods of their design, but they are not totally confined by them. The point becomes, if hognose had to make their living hunting on the surface of the ground, they would indeed make a poor living. As they are in competition with other snakes far more mobile then they are. So they make their living in the ground, where they have the advantage of adaption. After all, they learn to take food from a predator(you)

Its good to think of snakes like this, they are like a college student, they have a major, and a minor, in their studies. THe minor is just incase the major FAILS. Snakes are like this as well. There is always a backup plan, And they are always attempting to expand their abilities(that's ethology)

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