Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am currently taking a herpetology course at Purdue University Calumet, and the professor showed us a slide of a snake that a child had brought him a few years ago. He identified it as an albino eastern hognose (Heterodon platyrhinos), but it was all white with black eyes. I would consider that leucisitic and not albino. He said it was collected in NW Indiana, and the only type of hognose snake we have here is the eastern. Anyway, I have heard of leucistic western hognose snakes, but never of a leucistic eastern hognose. Is this the first leucistic Eastern Hognose to be captured? I will try to borrow the slide from the professor and post the picture ASAP.

Thanks,
Geary

P.S. Unfortunately the professor didn't realise the true value of this find and gave the animal back to the kid that found him to keep as a pet. I'm going to try to find out if he remembers how to get in contact with him to see if it is still alive.

Wow.. yeah, that would be leucistic.
I guess we can hope that a kid could keep an eastern hog alive, but they usually will only eat amphibians. Even WC westerns can be tough to get started on rodents, I think.

I'm a little confused, I have a rescue, she is a 5 ft Leucistic Texas Rat, she has light blue eyes, though...unusual.And I'm wondering, do I not know her worth? I rescued her for a $100 donation.

Gory

your not confused, $100 for leucistic texan rat snakes is average(in pet stores), but the fact to find a leucistic hognose naturally in the wild is rare.... and exciting. most morphs are produced in captivity.

>platyrhinos), but it was all white with black eyes. I would consider that leucisitic and >not albino.

The word "albinism" technically means a congenital absence of pigment so leucism is simply one form of albinism. Leucism is where the congenital absence of all pigment is confined only to the cutaneum (skin). Amelanism and axanthism/anerythrism are also forms of albinism even though an amelanistic snake may still have erythrins and xanthins and axanthic snakes may still possess melanin.

Now that the pedantic part of this post is over let me say this:

Leucistic Eastern Hognose? COOL!!!
Ophidiophile Farms