Hog-Nosed Hatchling

Every year about this time

the boys find a hog-nosed

hatchling...


Nearly a decade ago, an adult eastern hog-nosed snake startled us the first time we encountered the species on a hike in the neighboring woods.



When alarmed, the snake – in a cobra fashion – rises up, flattens its head and strikes out towards danger, often emitting its tongue.

We've since learned the snake is not poisonous and rarely bites humans. Even so, we teach the boys to respect all of Nature's Wonders.


Toads are this species' favorite food. These hoppers inhabit our yard.

One year, a large toad lived in my flower bed.

Late that summer, Isaac found a long eastern hog-nosed snake there.

To show us, Isaac picked up the monster and called for us. We noticed a big lump in its coils. Upon its release, the snake belched up a large toad. As the toad fled, the snake delivered a killing strike before slithering away from our sons – who were awestruck by another of this species' "shocking" escape tactics.

Weeks later, the snake's miniature appeared in our yard. Apparently, this species prefers our sandy soil and deciduous/coniferous-mixed forest for hatching its young. Little ones began appearing here annually in September.


On Saturday, Noah was biking around the yard when he noticed a slithering movement in the grass. He gathered the family for this year's show.

Together we watched another emergence of Nature's Wonders: the cobra-like dance performed by this eastern Hog-Nosed Hatchling.