Central Mass Hoggie

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AEthelred
Posts: 83
Joined: July 16th, 2019, 10:56 am
Location: North Adams,Massachusetts

Central Mass Hoggie

Post by AEthelred »

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A baby central Massachusetts hoggie ,very cute
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stlouisdude
Posts: 467
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 8:30 pm
Location: St Louis, MO / Hartford, CT

Re: Central Mass Hoggie

Post by stlouisdude »

We may have been at the same place lol I found a young hog and an eastern milk at a well known scrub Oak forest in central MA Friday. I found those within about 15 minutes then spent the next two hours wandering around aimlessly and finding nothing. It was not very warm and so the racers seemed to not be out.
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AEthelred
Posts: 83
Joined: July 16th, 2019, 10:56 am
Location: North Adams,Massachusetts

Re: Central Mass Hoggie

Post by AEthelred »

stlouisdude wrote: September 23rd, 2023, 11:29 am We may have been at the same place lol I found a young hog and an eastern milk at a well known scrub Oak forest in central MA Friday. I found those within about 15 minutes then spent the next two hours wandering around aimlessly and finding nothing. It was not very warm and so the racers seemed to not be out.
Very nice finds ,beautiful milk snake and hoohed up Eastern Hog nose.Actually my friend took that picture I did not take it personally.It was in Uxbridge in southern Worcester county.
Thank you for that great milk snake!
stlouisdude
Posts: 467
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 8:30 pm
Location: St Louis, MO / Hartford, CT

Re: Central Mass Hoggie

Post by stlouisdude »

I have not found a very effecient way of finding the hognose snakes. It seems to be rather hit or miss. If you find a way to consistently locate them, let me know. My efforts have been limited to just looking around habitat I know they are in and hoping for the best.
AEthelred
Posts: 83
Joined: July 16th, 2019, 10:56 am
Location: North Adams,Massachusetts

Re: Central Mass Hoggie

Post by AEthelred »

stlouisdude wrote: September 25th, 2023, 3:53 pm I have not found a very effecient way of finding the hognose snakes. It seems to be rather hit or miss. If you find a way to consistently locate them, let me know. My efforts have been limited to just looking around habitat I know they are in and hoping for the best.
It is hit or miss ,they were exterpated from Vermont a long time ago in theory but one was spotted in Vermont near the Mass border a few years ago.Hognose snakes don't seem to have a consitent habitat,sort of like copperheads ,very rare and no obvious habitat.As opposed to Timber Rattlesnakes that although low in number if you herp rocky outcrops in the southern Berkshires enough you'll hit a nest.
I don't have a good formula the the eastern Hognose really ,that is why I posted the photo because they are rare!
SteveWinks
Posts: 17
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 8:19 am
Location: Eastern MA

Re: Central Mass Hoggie

Post by SteveWinks »

Cool looking Hognose. I grew up in Eastern Massachusetts and despite the fact range maps at the time showed them to be present, in all my years I have never seen one one.
mikez
Posts: 210
Joined: October 3rd, 2010, 6:43 am
Location: north central Ma

Re: Central Mass Hoggie

Post by mikez »

Hognose in Massachusetts can be difficult but they definitely have a preferred habitat. Or multiple habitats. It's not always the sandy oak Scrub you expect.

We have a small, isolated population in northern Ma that gives up several every year. We found three in one day here a couple weeks ago.
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stlouisdude
Posts: 467
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 8:30 pm
Location: St Louis, MO / Hartford, CT

Re: Central Mass Hoggie

Post by stlouisdude »

From my reading they prefer warm temperatures. Perhaps in early spring they are more likely to be above ground taking advantage of the rays plus the vegetation is not dense yet. Unfortunately, I have no time to test the idea out. I've never found three in a single day though that would be a great day for me!
AEthelred
Posts: 83
Joined: July 16th, 2019, 10:56 am
Location: North Adams,Massachusetts

Re: Central Mass Hoggie

Post by AEthelred »

stlouisdude wrote: May 14th, 2024, 4:34 pm From my reading they prefer warm temperatures. Perhaps in early spring they are more likely to be above ground taking advantage of the rays plus the vegetation is not dense yet. Unfortunately, I have no time to test the idea out. I've never found three in a single day though that would be a great day for me!
Herpers have been putting Hoggies all over Facebook this week so they are out.A couple black Rat snakes on FB too.That Timber bite will get the herpers in force out in Westfield too
mikez
Posts: 210
Joined: October 3rd, 2010, 6:43 am
Location: north central Ma

Re: Central Mass Hoggie

Post by mikez »

I took a rescue call from a place in central Ma last week and got this female from against a building. She is well known to us having been captured and pit tagged in 2021. Last year she nested right up against a building and I just heard a snake fitting her description was removed from around the building yesterday by an employee who carried her to the woods.
For whatever reason this snake really likes buildings. And there's plenty of room for her to roam. I'm not talking about a congested area. She leaves the woods to seek out the man made structure.
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stlouisdude
Posts: 467
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 8:30 pm
Location: St Louis, MO / Hartford, CT

Re: Central Mass Hoggie

Post by stlouisdude »

Might be a lot of toads near buildings, too. I was diging up bark mulch around someone house one time and dug up a toad. It was amazing deep! I noticed a few toads hanging around throny bushes and where a hose leaked around houses before too.
mikez
Posts: 210
Joined: October 3rd, 2010, 6:43 am
Location: north central Ma

Re: Central Mass Hoggie

Post by mikez »

Yes toads and green frogs are often up against the same building, especially under the splash pad under the drain spout from the roof.
She apparently likes the building because she nested there last year. She literally dug down between the building foundation and an asphalt paved area. There was no more than a three inch gap for her to dig into.
Cebusman
Posts: 10
Joined: February 21st, 2023, 4:18 pm
Location: 50 miles N of NYC

Re: Central Mass Hoggie

Post by Cebusman »

I'm in Orange Cnty, NY and have never found a Hognose (or a Copper head) in all my years of crawling through the brush. Guess I'm looking in the wrong places. Have found most other snakes, though. The black rats have been out a lot so far this Spring. A couple of Timber rattlers, too. Thanks for posting.
AEthelred
Posts: 83
Joined: July 16th, 2019, 10:56 am
Location: North Adams,Massachusetts

Re: Central Mass Hoggie

Post by AEthelred »

Cebusman wrote: June 5th, 2024, 9:42 am I'm in Orange Cnty, NY and have never found a Hognose (or a Copper head) in all my years of crawling through the brush. Guess I'm looking in the wrong places. Have found most other snakes, though. The black rats have been out a lot so far this Spring. A couple of Timber rattlers, too. Thanks for posting.
I don't think there are copperheads in New York that far upstate hogenoses are rare in Vermont I know not surprising to be rare in NY.
If you want copperheads I'd check Connecticut
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