Hognose Snake Size Comparison: Just How Big Do They Get?

Despite being from different genera and parts of the world, most hognose snakes are similar in size. To get an idea of the different sizes of hognoses and how they measure up to people, other animals, and common household objects, continue reading this hognose snake size comparison below.

What Is a Hognose Snake?

Hognose snakes are a type of snake, as you might have guessed. Though they all share the name, not all hognoses are closely related. There are three main genus groups. They are the Heterodon, Leioheterodon, and Lystrophis.

Of these, the Heterodon genus is the most familiar to Americans. This genus lives in various parts of the United States and Mexico. Leioheterodon lives in Madagascar, and Lystrophis lives in South America.

So why are all of these snakes clumped into the same group if they’re from different genera? The answer is that although they are vastly different, they have a few characteristics in common.

The main characteristic is the one that gives the species its distinct name. All of these snakes have upturned noses that are reminiscent of hog snouts. They are known as a rostral scale.

These noses didn’t come about because they are a similar species. Instead, it came about because of convergent evolution. This is the term used when two completely different animals start to show similar characteristics. These characteristics often come about because of similar habitats or behavioral necessities.

In the case of hognose snakes, they all have an upturned nose scale to allow them to dig into the sand. They dig into sand to hide, or to get to eggs of snakes and lizards that they then eat.

The other similarity is that they are rather timid snakes. Other than that, and the characteristics that all snake species share, there are not a lot of similarities between them. Even their lengths and weights can be fairly different.

The Different Hognose Snake Species

There are several different hognose snake species. This article covers the most common ones throughout the world. They are broken up into their respective genera, to allow for better comparisons.

Heterodon Snakes

Heterodon snakes are the ones you might have come across before. They make good pets, and they are common throughout the US in the wild. In addition to their upturned noses and timid personalities, these snakes have another shared characteristic.

If they aren’t able to run away from a predator or scare them off, they’ll play dead. This involves them rolling onto their back and growing very still.

Plains Hognose Snake

The plains hognose snake (Heterodon nasicus) is also often referred to as the western hognose snake. They live throughout almost all of the central regions of Canada, Mexico, and the US.

These hognoses are a fairly solitary species and make great pets. The western hognose is often light brown with dark brown spots, but there are over 60 morphs for a wide range of patterns and colors.

Plains Hognose Size and Length

The plains hognose snake is considered to be a medium-sized snake. They range from 15 to 25 inches long. However, the longest on record was 39.6 inches, according to scientists Conant and Collins in 1998.

The plains hognose tends to be fairly light. The females are usually double the size of a male or more, ranging from 200 to 500 grams. On the other hand, the males only ever reach 60 to 130 grams. In pounds, this puts them somewhere between 0.13 and 1.1 pounds.

Eastern Hognose Snake

The eastern hognose snake (Heterodon platirhinos) lives on the eastern side of the US, up to the southernmost parts of Canada down to Florida, and parts of Texas. They are usually a yellow-tan color with reddish-brown stripes that turn into more bands the closer to the tail you go.

Eastern Hognose Size

Like the plains hognose, the eastern hognose is made up of larger females and smaller males. They tend to have an average length of 28 inches. However, the longest one on record is 46 inches. Eastern hognose snakes tend to be rather small. They stay under a pound in weight, though sometimes females can manage to weigh just over a pound.

Gloyd’s Hognose Snake

Gloyd’s hognose snake (Heterodon nasicus gloydi) is technically a subspecies of the plains hognose snake, though there are some debates on turning it into its own species. It also goes by the name dusty hognose snake. They occupy all of the central areas of North America as well, from Canada all the way down to Mexico. They look very similar to the plains hognose snake as well.

Gloyd’s Hognose Size

Since Gloyd’s hognose snakes are a subspecies of plains hognose snakes, it stands to reason that they are similar in size. Gloyd’s hognose snakes tend to be a little on the smaller side, measuring between 15 and 20 inches in length. They also tend to have a similar weight. This subspecies usually weigh under a pound, even for the heaviest of the bunch.

Southern Hognose Snake

A southern hognose snake (Heterodon simus) can be found in some of the same places as the eastern hognose snake but in a much more limited area. They tend to extend up north to Tennessee, south to the lower edges of Florida, and west as far as Mississippi. They are anywhere from bright red to a tannish-brown with black spots all down their body.

Southern Hognose Size

A southern hognose tends to be pretty small, similar to all its close relatives. They range between 13 and 22 inches, though the largest was a female that measured 24 inches long. Southern hognoses have a fairly narrow range for their weight. They can be as light as 0.1 pounds to 0.26 pounds.

Mexican Hognose Snake

Mexican hognose snakes (Heterodon kennelyi) are found in southern Texas down to central Mexico. It’s a light-colored or tan snake with dark black or brown spots and stripes across the head over the eyes that mimic eyebrows.

Mexican Hognose Size

Mexican hognose snakes are about the same size as the rest of the Heterodon group. They are usually 20-something inches in length, though the longest so far was found to be 30 inches. There are still some arguments on whether it’s a subspecies of the western hognose snake or its own species, so information about it is still lacking.

Like the western hognose snake, it has a wide range of weights. However, it usually isn’t much more than a pound. You will likely find them much closer to 0.1 or 0.2 pounds.

Heterodon Size Comparison and Chart

Since all Heterodon snakes are similar in size and weight, it’s easy enough to compare them. To keep it relatively simple, we will use 17 inches and half a pound as the averages when making comparisons.

Heterodon vs. Rattlesnake Size Comparison

There are a lot of different species of rattlesnakes in the United States. For this comparison, we will use the timber rattlesnake, as it is one of the most common rattlesnakes in the US.

The timber rattlesnake has an average length somewhere between 30 and 60 inches. At the middle of the range, 45 inches, a timber rattlesnake will grow to be 2.67 times longer than a hognose. Some timber rattlesnakes have been reported to be 84 inches long, which could make them almost five times longer.

Despite their length, timber rattlesnakes aren’t all that heavy. They are generally between 1.1 to 3.3 pounds. This means that the heaviest hognose and the lightest timber rattlesnake are actually close to the same weight. However, on average, hognoses are 4.4 times lighter.

Heterodon vs. Golden Retriever Length Comparison

The average golden retriever measures somewhere between 37 and 42 inches. While this is fairly compatible with some snakes, it’s over two times the length of the average hognose.

Heterodon vs. a Yoga Mat Length Comparison

A standard yoga mat you’d buy measures 72 inches in length and 24 inches wide. This means your yoga mat would be longer than a little over four average-sized hognose snakes. Even the width of the yoga mat is 1.4 times longer than the small little snakes.

Heterodon vs. Adult Human Length Comparison

64 inches (five feet and four inches) is considered the average human height. It would take nearly four hognoses stretched out to measure up to one person.

Heterodon Hognose Snake Size Comparison

Leioheterodon Snakes

Next, there are the hognose snakes native to Madagascar. These snakes fall into the Leioheterodon genus. In addition to being called hognose snakes, they’re also known as Malagasy menarana snakes and Malagasy brown snakes. Two of the species are a little bit bigger than their North American counterparts, but one species stands out from the rest.

Specked Hognose Snake

Speckled hognose snakes (Leioheterodon geayi) are native to southwestern Madagascar. As the name suggests, they are usually speckled. They are a light tan color with speckles of darker brown-reddish spots along their body.

Speckled Hognose Size

Speckled hognose snakes tend to be around 43 inches in length. For their length, they’re rather light, weighing about 0.75 pounds.

Malagasy Giant Hognose Snake

Then there is the Malagasy giant hognose snake (Leioheterodon madagascariensis). They are a large species found in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. They tend to be darker black or brown on the top but still have a lighter belly.

Malagasy Giant Hognose Size

The Malagasy giant hognose snake easily reaches six feet. You can expect these snakes to be four pounds when fully grown.

Blonde Hognose Snake

The third hognose snake found in Madagascar is the blonde hognose snake (Leioheterodon modestus). They are lighter in color, either a tan or tannish-green color with a darker stripe running along their sides sometimes.

Blonde Hognose Size

Blonde hognoses are the smallest of the Madagascar variety, measuring up to 40 inches. They also weigh less than 0.75 pounds.

Leioheterodon Size Comparison and Chart

For these hognoses, 41 inches and 0.73 inches will be the average. The Malagasian hognose snake will be mentioned separately.

Leioheterodon vs. Madagascar Tree Boa Size Comparison

The Madagascar tree boa measures anywhere between 48 to 84 inches. This would make the middle number 66.

For the giant hognose, the tree boa would be six inches shorter on average. However, for the other hognoses, the tree boa is one-and-a-half times longer.

For weight, the Madagascar boa is between 3.3 to 8.8 pounds, On the high end, a tree boa can be double the weight of the giant hognose. Meanwhile, even on the low end, the other hognose snakes are three to four times lighter.

Leioheterodon vs. Golden Retriever Size Comparison

At 39.5 inches from snout to tail, a golden retriever runs just a little smaller than the average hognose. It’s also roughly half the length of a giant hognose.

Leioheterodon vs. a Yoga Mat Size Comparison

The giant hognose is the perfect length for a yoga mat, as they are both 72 inches on average. On the other hand, the other two hognose snakes in Madagascar are 1.75 times smaller.

Leioheterodon vs. Adult Human Size Comparison

A human would be 1.5 times longer than the two standard hognoses in Madagascar. However, a giant hognose snake would be longer than the average person by eight inches.

Leioheterodon Hognose Snake Size Comparison

Lystrophis Snakes

Lystriohis hognose snakes are found commonly in South America. Sometimes, they are in their own genus, but some still put them under the Xenodon genus instead. These are all considered to be tricolored snakes with the hog nose, mimicking coral or milk snakes. There are a total of five snakes in the genus, but only two are widely known.

South American Hognose Snake

First, there’s the South American hognose snake (Lystrophis dorbignyi). It is found in countries like Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. It is usually black, and and brown with patterns similar to the eastern hognose snake. However, they may have red coloring on their underside at the very tip of their tail.

South American Hognose Size

The South American hognose snake has a length somewhere between 20 and 30 inches on average. Most of these snakes weigh around 0.75 pounds but may be up to a pound.

Tricolor Hognose Snake

A tricolor hognose snake (Lystrophis pulcher) looks a lot like a coral snake, with red, black, and white coloring. They are found in the southernmost countries of South America.

Tricolor American Hognose Size

You can expect tricolor hognoses to be between 18 and 24 inches, depending on the gender. Usually, these snakes are no more than half a pound, if that.

Lystrophis Size Comparison and Chart

For these comparisons, the averages of the hognoses in South America will be 20 inches and 0.75 pounds.

Lystrophis vs. South American Size Comparison

The South American coral snake measures between 24 and 35 inches on average. However, the largest on record was 57 inches. They usually weigh about a pound. This means that at a quick glance, a coral snake and a hognose snake in South America may look very similar in size and color.

However, coral snakes can grow a little bit bigger than a hognose at their maximum lengths.

Lystrophis vs. Golden Retriever Size Comparison

With the average golden retriever measuring 39.5 inches, they are a bit larger than even the maximum length of a hognose in South America. A golden is roughly twice the length of a female hognose snake and may be more than twice as long as a male hognose.

Lystrophis vs. a Yoga Mat Size Comparison

With a mat measuring at least 72 inches, they are 3.6 times as long as a South American hognose snake species.

Lystrophis vs. Adult Human Size Comparison

South American hognose snakes measure up a little bit better to a human than a yoga mat, as they are only 3.2 times smaller.

Lystrophis Hognose Snake Size Comparison

All Genera Hognose Snake Size Comparison

Largest Hognose Snake Ever Found

There have been no official records for the largest hognose snake ever found. However, One species of hognose is clearly the winner. The Malagasy giant hognose is part of the Leioheterdon genus.

These snakes are found in Madagascar. Depending on their conditions, they can grow to lengths between four and six feet long.

Places You’re Most Likely to Encounter a Hognose Snake

You’re likely to encounter hognose snakes in many countries of South America, Madagascar, and throughout much of North America. For those living in North America, you can find hognose snakes from Montana down to New Mexico to the eastern side of the US. You can find them in most of Mexico. In Canada, they reside from Alberta to the east, all the way into Quebec.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Iuliia Morozova