Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey All
I've read that the range of Western, Mexican and Dusty Hognose is described as "Being west of the Mississippi river to the Rocky Mountains and from above the Canadian border to below the Mexican border". This is taken from Griswold's article in Reptiles magazine.
I understand that this range is inclusive for H. n. gloydi, H. n. nasicus, and H. n. kennerlyi. My question is how far East are H. nasicus found in Texas? I am unaware of any specimens found in Louisiana (I'm pretty sure that there hasn't been). Is the Sabine river the Geographical boundary line for the Eastern range of the Westerns? What is the most Easterly point that any of you guys have Caught, or know of Westerns being caught?
Thanks in advance!
Paul Bollinger

Above canada to below mexico. Would that place there range in all of California? if so I might be talked into collecting some.
RR

I think the Rocky Mountains would be the Western boundary line and with that being said, I don't think you would find them in Cali. But I may be wrong in regards to SoCal...
Paul Bollinger

I understand that this range is inclusive for H. n. gloydi, H. n. nasicus, and H. n. kennerlyi. My question is how far East are H. nasicus found in Texas? I am unaware of any specimens found in Louisiana (I'm pretty sure that there hasn't been). Is the Sabine river the Geographical boundary line for the Eastern range of the Westerns?

They do not make it to the TX/LA line. They are fairly rare in East Texas as well and only occur in a few isolated pockets in east TX. There isn't really any habitat any closer to the LA line. The only Western I have ever seen in East Texas was on the west side of Houston back in the late 70s.

They do occur further east, but only up in IL and on the MO/KY border, but these populations are very restricted and are listed in most of the states they occur in. This is a snake of the drier Great Plains.

They don't get near CA. They only make it into the grasslands of SE AZ and into central Montana.
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Chris Harrison

Ok thanks for the info
RR

Thanks Chris,
That's what I was thinking although I wasn't 100%. Supposedly platyrhinos and nasicus ranges overlap in areas around West Houston, can you confirm that?
Thanks again,
Paul Bollinger

>>Thanks Chris,
>>That's what I was thinking although I wasn't 100%. Supposedly platyrhinos and nasicus ranges overlap in areas around West Houston, can you confirm that?
>>Thanks again,
>>Paul Bollinger

The one western I have seen in West Houston was found in the prairie areas behind Addicks resevoir (north on Eldridge road). I have found many Easterns there but only the one western. At the time, I didn't think it was a big deal as it was my first nasicus and I had only been herping the area for a year or so.
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Chris Harrison

eastern hogs and western hogs overlap a lot in Texas. As Chris said, westerns can be found (rarely) near Houston and easterns have been found within a short distance (~10 miles or less) of the TX/NM border. That's almost all of Texas!
My Online Snake Lifelist

The link below should answer your question, as far as TX goes. According to Conant and Collins (1998), the range is from IL to Alberta, south to SE AZ and central Mexico. "Isolated relict populations, indicative of a once much wider distribution, survive in suitable habitats both east and west of the main part of the range." Their map shows disjoint areas of coverage in east TX, near the Mississippi River in IL/MO, and several isolated populations from NW MO into IA, MN, and the eastern Dakotas. Intergrades between the western and dusty hognose subspecies are depicted from southern OK into west-central and southwest TX.

This one is probably a case where the published data on range(s) are of relatively limited use. In other words, you probably have a better chance of finding them in places where they aren't supposed to be, or not finding them where they're supposed to be.
Western Hognose in TX

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MichaelB