Unexpected Hognose

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soulsurvivor
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Unexpected Hognose

Post by soulsurvivor »

A couple weekends ago when we had a brief spell of cool weather, I went hiking for diamondbacks with my husband. I had hoped to catch one out basking, but found something else instead. As we walked carefully through the woods, I saw something move beneath a tuft of grass next to my foot. When I saw the pattern, I knew it could be only one thing.....my lifer hognose!

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I believe this was a young eastern hognose, vs a southern. Can someone confirm?
Matt Arnold
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by Matt Arnold »

Awesome! I'm really jealous, this is a species I have yet to see. I love how when you go out looking for one thing, you always find something you weren't looking for, in this case something excellent! Congrats.
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Stohlgren
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by Stohlgren »

Definitely an eastern. A very good looking individual at that.
Tamara D. McConnell
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by Tamara D. McConnell »

Gorgeous hog!
Terry Vandeventer
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by Terry Vandeventer »

Look at that pattern. It's an Agkistrodon pattern if I ever saw one. I've found a few marked like this over the years and the really red ones make you hesitate...

Cheers,

TV
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Denmeade
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by Denmeade »

So lucky to capture something so gorgeous, go for one find another always is amazing.
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soulsurvivor
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by soulsurvivor »

It was such a surprise! I was NOT expecting to see a hognose on the crawl. It totally made my day, and I didn't even mind that we didn't find any diamondbacks. :P
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Tim Borski
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by Tim Borski »

It totally made my day, and I didn't even mind that we didn't find any diamondbacks.
Wow, it certainly would've made my day. That thing is drop dead gorgeous!!

Hearty, hearty congrats. :thumb:
Tim

(Bree, 'you back in the fabled land of bananas?)
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Steve Atkins
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by Steve Atkins »

Wow! That is beautiful
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soulsurvivor
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by soulsurvivor »

Yep, back in Flo Flo! Was in your neck of the woods a couple weeks ago. My avatar pic is actually at the Fish Wagon. I was chauffeuring my elderly parents on their bucket list Keys trip though, and not able to do anything besides cater to their every whim. It was kind of a bummer. :|
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Soopaman
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by Soopaman »

That's possibly the best looking hognose I have ever seen! Great find!
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soulsurvivor
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by soulsurvivor »

He looked even better in person. I was really kicking myself for not bringing my macro lens, because he would have been a great subject for it. But when you're planning on photographing EDB's, the macro seems a silly thing to bring along! Just goes to show you should always be prepared!!
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Tim Borski
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by Tim Borski »

Welcome back and have a great season.
I bet that little EDB missed ya! :mrgreen:

If you ever find yourself in my area again, look me up.
Tim
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Natalie McNear
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by Natalie McNear »

Wow, one of the best looking hogs I've seen posted anywhere. Nice find!
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muskiemagnet
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by muskiemagnet »

boy, i wish ours looked like that up here in wisconsin. beautiful snake.

-ben
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bladerunner8u
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by bladerunner8u »

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bladerunner8u
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by bladerunner8u »

Image

This hog laid 13 eggs last year and about half were screamers!
Robert McManus
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by Robert McManus »

WOw! Stunning find. I've never seen one like that but I agree with the Agkistrodon comparison; it would have stopped me short for a second look! Never seen anything like it up here in Canada, but it brings up a point I was discussing with Phil that the Eastern Hognose are so incredibly varied. This will push me to get around to a posting I've been meaning to make. Congratulations on this terrific find.
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soulsurvivor
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by soulsurvivor »

Nice, Glenn! Seeing that hognose in the wild reminded me of how much I loved my westerns when I used to keep snakes. Made me miss them actually. I always wanted to keep easterns, but worried I wouldn't be able to make them thrive, since they are not the rodent eaters the westerns are.
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woodsrunner
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by woodsrunner »

I have a very good friend here in Canada who is the Eastern hognose God of Ontario. He finds them where they don't exist and has written and self published a coffee table book on them. He's even starting to look like one.

The pattern on your find here is likely to stop his heart.

Is there a more variable snake in terms of colour and pattern on this continent?
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bladerunner8u
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by bladerunner8u »

soulsurvivor wrote:Nice, Glenn! Seeing that hognose in the wild reminded me of how much I loved my westerns when I used to keep snakes. Made me miss them actually. I always wanted to keep easterns, but worried I wouldn't be able to make them thrive, since they are not the rodent eaters the westerns are.

They do just fine on rodents if started on them as babies. ....so keep one ;)
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Josh Holbrook
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by Josh Holbrook »

.
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jgeorge
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by jgeorge »

They catch on quick.....
Image
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soulsurvivor
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by soulsurvivor »

Thanks for the info, Glenn. I have been contemplating getting back into keeping some captive bred snakes.
chance37
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by chance37 »

have kept easterns but used a trick...would gut load large toads with pinks ...worked fine....the first snake i ever had as a child was a huge eastern...then got a male...18 eggs 16 hatched and the colors were jamming...mother was bright, dad melanistic....Platys of the species have the craziest routines...they all hood up but the platy goes nuts....

glenn you got any young easterns avail?
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muskiemagnet
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by muskiemagnet »

bladerunner8u wrote:
soulsurvivor wrote:Nice, Glenn! Seeing that hognose in the wild reminded me of how much I loved my westerns when I used to keep snakes. Made me miss them actually. I always wanted to keep easterns, but worried I wouldn't be able to make them thrive, since they are not the rodent eaters the westerns are.

They do just fine on rodents if started on them as babies. ....so keep one ;)

interesting you mention this. my friend and i have talked about feeding hogs mice. i don't keep snakes myself, so i do not have any real opinions on it, but i will pose a question. by feeding mice to an amphibian eater, will this affect the snake in any way considering you are now introducing vegetable matter into their systems. this would rarely happen in the wild.

-ben
mikemike
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by mikemike »

Holy crap. That hog is a SCREAMER!
sonorandesertman
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Re: Unexpected Hognose

Post by sonorandesertman »

I want a darn baby hognose. Love those guys. I caught one last year but let it go of course. It was full grown but such a cool snake. Have only seen one in my life. Love em'. Peace. sdm.
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