"Zombie" Snake Alert in North Carolina

[Ax01]

it's just a Hoggie. Glad that the NC State Parks issued the warning to be mindful of the harmless snake and tries to educate and dispel myths surrounding it's deadliness. i mean come on - anyone who thinks a hoggie can "can mix venom with its breath and kill a person from 25 feet away" should just stay indoors.

BTW has anyone had their lil hoggie play zombie before? i know most have Westerns and heard CB's don't play dead outside of the babies.

story here: https://www.foxnews.com/science/zomb...north-carolina

‘Zombie snake’ found in North Carolina can 'play dead,' officials say

A snake that plays possum?

The eastern hognose snake is famous for flipping over on its back and playing dead, the North Carolina State Parks and Recreation said.

Officials recently posted photos of the seemingly lifeless reptiles – but the “zombie” snakes were far from dead.

Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/NorthCaroli...57185529354030

When threatened, the non-venomous snake “will feign death by opening its mouth, rolling over on its back, and writhing around,” according to Amphibians and Reptiles of North Carolina. If it gets turned back on its belly, the snake will immediately roll over and play dead again.

The species will also spread its neck like a cobra and hiss, which has earned them the nicknames “puff adder” and “spreading adder,” the group said. While the snakes rarely bite, they repeatedly strike if under threat.

Another of its nicknames is the “blow viper.” A common myth about the hognose is that it can mix venom with its breath and kill a person from 25 feet away, according to the Florida Museum.

“In truth, its breath is harmless,” the museum said.

The hognose, which can grow up to about four feet in length, is found in the eastern part of the U.S., from Florida up to New England and portions of southern Canada, according to the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory at the University of Georgia.

Their diet mainly consists of frogs, salamanders, birds and small mammals, the group said.

and here: https://abcnews.go.com/US/north-caro...ry?id=63616550

North Carolina issues warning about 'zombie snake' that tends to play dead

Parks and recreation officials in North Carolina issued a warning about a so-called "zombie snake" in the state that tends to "play dead."

The North Carolina State Parks and Recreation shared images of the eastern hognose snake on its Facebook page, warning residents to stay alert if they happen to come across the creature, which defends itself by lying on it's back and pretending to be dead.

"Instead of watching clouds to see if we can keep weekend weather on track, let's play a game! Who is this ‘famous’ NC snake? A cobra? A zombie snake? It’s a harmless one," the organization wrote in a lighthearted Facebook post.

It racked up dozens of reactions and comments from residents, including a few who said they’d never heard of a snake with such bizarre survival techniques.

The reptiles vary in color but the most common ones are usually brown or gray with dark brown blotches. It isn't poisonous, but they tend to display cobra-like qualities, according to Amphibian and Reptiles of North Carolina.

"When threatened, hognose snakes hiss loudly and spread their necks like cobras do, resulting in the nicknames 'puff adder' or 'spreading adder,'" Amphibian and Reptiles of North Carolina said in a statement. "They rarely bite during these displays, but they may strike repeatedly."

The eastern hognose tends to resort to playing dead when other defense mechanisms fail.

"If the antagonist continues, the hognose snake will feign death by opening its mouth, rolling over on its back, and writhing around. If turned over onto its belly, it will immediately roll again onto its back," the statement said.

The hognose, which can grow up to about four feet in length, is found throughout the eastern parts of the country, from Florida and Texas to Minnesota, according to the Florida Museum. Urban myth says "hognose snake can mix venom with its breath and is thus able to kill a person from a distance of twenty-five feet," but the museum said that couldn't be further from the truth.

"In truth, its breath is harmless," the museum said in a statement.

here's the sample pix the NC State Parks used as the "zombie" snake. original FB post here: https://www.facebook.com/NorthCaroli...57185529354030

[Bogertophis]

I had a pair of c/b W. hoggies many years ago that never played dead. (until they did the real thing)
Agree with you, some ppl should just stay indoors, lol...

[ckuhn003]

Funny story...I did an 8 hour Adventure Race last month in the Blue Ridge Ga mountains which consisted of hiking/trail running, orienteering, cycling and kayaking. Anyways, as my partner and I were bushwhacking up a mountain, I alerted him that he just stepped over a snake. He immediately jumped and yelled 'copper head' in which I laughed and told him it definitely wasn't a copperhead. I picked up a stick to nudge the snake and get a better look. The snake immediately puffed up his head area which my friend yelled 'it's a f**** Cobra!!'

....after doing some research, it looks like we stumbled on a common eastern hog nose which was one of the many highlights over the long day.

[Shayne]

Funny thing....

Some folks would read this article and immediately start to panic and I'm over here like "Holy crap! I want one!"

At least I know y'all understand me. lol

[Craiga 01453]

I saw that too. I've never seen Cosmo play dead, and from what I've heard from Deb she's only seen it a few times with hatchlings.

It's cool that the state is trying to educate people that hoggies are harmless, but man the media is awful.