第 0585 號，共 1 402 號

Eastern hognose snake

Heterodon platirhinos

名字的由來： The name comes from Greek. Heterodon means "different tooth", and platirhinos means "broad or flat snout".1

無害對人無害。不用擔心。

後毒牙蛇

咬吃：肉

對人的危險: 輕微跟蜜蜂螫差不多或更輕微。對人基本上無害。

The eastern hognose snake is a stout, rear-fanged snake that lives across eastern and central North America. It has an upturned snout, which it uses for digging in sandy soil. It is mildly venomous, but its venom is aimed at toads and frogs and is not deadly to people.1

分布在

Eastern and central North America, from southern Ontario and southern New Hampshire to Texas, Kansas and southern Florida1

北美洲

首頁

It prefers dry places with sandy or loose soil, such as upland sandy pine forests, old fields and forest edges. At the northern end of its range it has been found to prefer developed lands.1

長度

1,2 m (3,8 ft)1

最高速度

大約 4,9 km/h（3 mph）

在陸地上, 粗略估計

牠吃什麼？

It eats mainly amphibians and has a particular fondness for toads. It uses its enlarged rear teeth to puncture and deflate toads before swallowing them whole.1

Eastern hognose snake 的照片 — Eastern hognose snake。照片：evangrimes。 CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist.

怎麼認出牠

Stout body with an upturned snout1
Colour varies widely by area, from red, green or orange to brown, grey or black, sometimes blotched, checkered or plain1
Belly is usually a solid grey, yellow or cream colour1
The underside of the tail is lighter than the belly1
Adults average 71 cm in total length, and females are larger than males1

毒液力量

咬

咬的時候，毒液會從毒牙或牙齒出來。

牠的毒液有什麼作用？

Its venom is mild and is adapted to amphibian prey. It is delivered through enlarged rear teeth from the Duvernoy's gland. In people who are allergic to the snake's saliva, a bite can cause local swelling, burning, discolouration and bleeding from the wound.1

牠對人有多危險？

對人的危險: 輕微跟蜜蜂螫差不多或更輕微。對人基本上無害。

The venom is harmless to most people, and no human deaths have been documented. People who are allergic to its saliva may have local symptoms such as swelling and bleeding.1

牠害怕時會做什麼？

It flattens its neck, raises its head like a cobra, hisses and strikes with a closed mouth to bluff. If that fails, it rolls onto its back, plays dead, releases a foul musk and lets its tongue hang out.1

如果牠咬人

清洗咬傷處，讓傷者保持冷靜，並且就醫。有些種類（例如非洲樹蛇）可能在幾個小時後才致命。

一定要先打緊急電話（112、000、911）。這是一般急救指引，不是醫療建議。急救基本知識

注意安全

絕對不要碰、抓或捉弄野生動物，就算是很小的動物，就算牠看起來在睡覺或已經死了也一樣。
給牠空間。如果遇到了，保持冷靜，慢慢往後退，讓牠自己離開。
如果被牠咬了：保持冷靜，保持不動，打緊急電話（112、000、911）或趕快去醫院。記住牠的樣子，有照片會很有幫助。

牠不是想來抓你。牠用毒液來捕捉食物或保護自己，而且牠更想躲起來。更多安全知識

在世界上的哪裡？

非洲亞洲歐洲北美洲南美洲澳洲與大洋洲

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

跟 2,5 隻家貓從鼻子接到尾巴一樣長跟 6 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長可以在 73 秒內跑完 100 公尺（最快的人類需要 9.6 秒）

Eastern hognose snake 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡做算術。什麼都不會儲存，也不會傳送到任何地方。

牠有多快？

一隻陸龜 大約 0,3 km/h (0,19 mph)

Eastern hognose snake 大約 4,9 km/h (3 mph)

一個正在走路的人 大約 5 km/h (3,1 mph)

值得知道

小知識

One individual was seen playing dead for 45 minutes before moving away.1

It is resistant to the skin poisons of toads, probably because of its enlarged adrenal glands, which release large amounts of hormones to counter the toxins.1

When threatened, it often bluffs by striking with its mouth closed, and it does not try to bite.1

It is a rear-fanged snake, and its enlarged teeth are at the back of the upper jaw.1

Females can store sperm until spring, so they can be fertilised later.1

破解迷思

迷思： The eastern hognose snake is a dangerous, deadly snake.

真相： It is only mildly venomous, and its venom is aimed at amphibians. No human deaths have been documented, although some people who are allergic to its saliva may have local symptoms.1

給毒液專家

學名: Heterodon platirhinos
類群: 後毒牙蛇
家人: Colubridae2
排序: Squamata
各大洲: 北美洲
寶寶: Females lay up to 40 eggs, with an average of about 25, usually in June or early July. The hatchlings are about 16.5 to 21 cm long.1
牠在野外的狀況: Least concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2007). It is a species of increasing conservation concern in the northeastern part of its range.1
對人的危險: 1 / 5: 輕微3