Built to dig
That famous upturned snout acts like a tiny shovel, helping hognoses move through loose soil and leaf litter.
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The snake behind the name
Meet Koki
Koki Von Derpington is our family’s Western hognose snake—and the rightful heir to the noble House of Von Derpington.
He has the shovel-shaped nose, curious nature, and spectacular flair for drama that make hognoses unforgettable. This is his corner of the internet: part family album, part species guide, and part record of where his story began.
Official portrait
Lord of the Burrow
A very particular little snake
Western hognose
Heterodon nasicus
Mostly daylight
Western hognoses are generally active during the day and spend plenty of time tunneling beneath their substrate.
Great theater
When worried, they may flatten their neck, hiss, bluff-strike, or even play dead. It is defensive drama, not villainy.
Respect the snoot
They are rear-fanged and mildly venomous. Bites are uncommon, but handling should always be calm and responsible.
North AmericaNative range
DaytimePrimary activity
5–9 in.Hatchling length
4–23Eggs in a clutch
Range & habitat
Made for open country
Western hognoses are native to central North America, from southern Canada through the United States into northern Mexico. They favor prairies, grasslands, scrub, river floodplains, and semi-desert country—especially places with loose, sandy or gravelly soil.
Form & function
A shovel on his face
The name nasicus refers to the nose. Koki’s upturned rostral scale is specialized for digging, while his sturdy body and keeled scales help him push through soil and disappear beneath the surface.
Wild diet
An amphibian specialist
Wild Western hognoses feed heavily on toads and frogs, along with small reptiles and occasional rodents. Their rear teeth and modified saliva help them handle slippery, defensive prey. Pet diets are different and should follow experienced veterinary guidance.
Defense
The great performance
A worried hognose may flatten its neck, hiss, puff up, or launch a closed-mouth bluff strike. If the performance fails, it may roll over and play dead. The display is meant to avoid a fight.
Life cycle
From egg to explorer
Females lay thin-shelled eggs in summer. Reported clutches range from four to twenty-three eggs, with hatchlings emerging at roughly five to nine inches long after about two months of incubation.
Conservation
Widespread, but worth protecting
The species is classified as Least Concern across its broad range, though individual populations can still be affected by habitat loss, roads, collection, and needless killing by people who mistake these harmless theatrics for aggression.
Species notes are educational, not veterinary advice. Individual care should be guided by an experienced reptile veterinarian.
Where the story began
Hatching day,
caught on camera
Watch the Snake Discovery footage from Koki’s very beginning. The video starts at the moment his hatching story comes into view.
The family album
Koki, in his own scales
From a tiny handful of scales to master of his carefully appointed kingdom—a family record of Koki growing up.
“Small snake.
Big title.”
— The House of Von Derpington