Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys
I've been involved in reptile rescue formally for about a year and worked with a ton of different reptiles in the last ten years. But today I just got my first hognose! It's a beautiful Western Hog, and I found some literature that talked about a Mexican Hognose being native to AZ, TX, NM, and around there. That range sounded like western states and the picture in the book looked a lot like a Western Hog.

Anyway here's my question - what's the difference in range between the western and mexican hognose, and are the terms "western" and "mexican" possibly just different names for the same snake or are they really two distinct varieties of hognoses?

Thanks hog experts.
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Jesse Rothacker
Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary
Find out how YOU can get involved in reptile rescue...
www.forgottenfriend.org

I believe they have recently been reclassified as the same species. In the past it was heteredon kennerly(sp) and nasicus but now just nasicus. Ive seen some people still refer to mexicans though so its still around.

EP
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Occupants not paying rent:
7 balls
2.1.10 corns(candy cane, creamsicle, ghost, 6 normal, 4 anery )
1 pueblan milk
1 everglades rat
1 cal. king
1 gray band king
1 w. hognose
1 bearded dragon
1 fish
1 mouse
3.3 cats

if so, that would be of GREAT importance to me. Where did you hear about that?

More info please!
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Anthony Chodan

www.gradeareptiles.com

Hognose researcher Curtis Eckerman has posted here in the past with a full explanation, see if a search turns up anything. Otherwise, the taxonomic review would be under his name (I don't have my literature with me).
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"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully."
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This publication says they qualify as separate species.

The Taxonomic Status of the Mexican Hognose Snake Heterodon kennerlyi Kennicott (1860) by Hobart M. Smith, David Chiszar, Curtis M. Eckerman & Harlan D. Walley. Journal of Kansas Herpetology Number 5 March 2003

you can read it online at:

http://www.ku.edu/~khs/JKH_5.pdf
Journal Kansas Herpetology

Here is a point of view....

Prior to the subspecies change: 3 sub-species including...
1.(H. n. nasicus) PLAINS HOGNOSE
2.(H. n. gloydi) DUSTY HOGNOSE
3.(H. n. kennerlyi) MEXICAN HOGNOSE

After subspecies change: 2 sub-species including...
1.(Heterodon nasicus) WESTERN HOGNOSE (previous nasicus & gloydi)
2.(Heterodon kennerlyi) MEXICAN HOGNOSE

It does seem the "nasicus" and "gloydi" have been re-classified under one sub-species.

I'm open to suggestions, corrections, or up-dates....

Thanks everyone for your help. However you classify all these hogs, I deffinitely have a new appreciation for them now that I own one.

The first difference I noticed with my Western Hog (compared to the other snakes I've worked with) is how much they like to burrow. Usually my snakes will go up a sleeve or some dark space etc, but my hognose tries to burrow right through my hand. These guys are great.
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Jesse Rothacker
Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary
Find out how YOU can get involved in reptile rescue...
www.forgottenfriend.org