(dramatic music) (air whooshes)
- Another hognose snake right here.
Wow, look at the size of that one!
This's without question the biggest hognose
that we have seen all day
- Let it go. - Oh, oh,
and it went straight into play-dead mode.
While it appears to be dead,
it is still very much alive.
(thud resounds)
(gravel crackles)
(drumbeats boom)
(tense music) Hidden beneath my hat
is one of the most talented, performing reptiles
that lives in North America.
Lemme introduce you to the Eastern hognose snake.
That reptile right there has
some of the most incredible defensive abilities
of any reptile that exists on our planet.
(drumbeats boom)
(air whooshes) Now, when you take
a quick look at this snake,
you'll notice its banded and checkered patterning.
Many people mistake this snake
for a timber rattlesnake
or a copperhead,
but I can promise you this snake is completely harmless.
It is all bluff and no bite.
It's very rare that this snake
would ever try to bite a human.
And to prove that,
(tense music) I'm going to place my hand
right in front of its face.
What do you think's gonna happen?
You think this snake is gonna latch onto my hand?
(inhales sharply) Let's find out.
All right, buddy, there's my hand.
What're you gonna do about it?
Are you gonna bite me, or you gonna sniff me?
That's right, you can see
it's just flicking out its tongue,
sensing my hand,
doing absolutely nothing
in regards to biting.
(tense music) When it comes
to the name hognosed snake,
you can easily look at the front
of this animal's face
and see that upward-turned scale,
almost looks like the snout of a pig.
This reptile uses that snout to dig
through sandy soil
or to bury down in the leaf litter
that covers the forest floor.
Now, I imagine when it comes to hunting for its prey,
that also gives it quite the advantage
if it needs to move down and through burrows.
Honestly, I think it makes the snake
look pretty cute.
Boop! (chuckles)
They also have the ability to play dead.
It is a very dramatic performance.
And with any luck, we're gonna find
one of these snakes that's a little bit bigger
and a little bit more willing
to try to win the reptile Academy Awards.
(foliage rustles) This is great
hognose snake territory. (air warbles)
Another hognose snake right here.
(tense music) Oh, it is a big one too!
Here, here, here, somebody take this camera.
Take that. Wow, okay.
I don't want him to get into this pile of timbers.
Wow, look at the size of that one!
This's without question the biggest hognose
that we have seen all day.
- [Will] If we just let him chill,
he might stay.
And what seems to be working,
is getting the snake to want
to corral underneath a hat.
- It is our second hognose snake
of the day, (drumbeats boom)
and it is absolutely beautiful.
Look at the color variation
in this snake specifically,
it is bright orange and black. (snake hissing)
It looks like the mascot for "Brave Wilderness".
This is incredible,
and here we are seeing
that defensive display.
(beat resounds) Take a look
at that flattened-out head. (drumbeats boom)
That is the cobra design
that these snakes have mastered.
Now, not related to cobras in any way whatsoever.
But for any potential attacker,
(air whooshes) if you see that display,
(snake hissing) you're being warned that,
"Hey I am definitely not something
that you want to mess with."
(snake hissing)
(drumbeat booms) You'll notice the snake does
not even open up its mouth
(snake hissing) when it does
that striking display.
I can tell that you just wanna get
back out into the leaves
and continue hunting. (snake hissing)
And I think we're gonna let you do just that.
(dramatic music) - Down to your left.
- Hognose? - Yep.
- Whoa, look at that hognose.
Beauty! Wow! (snake hissing)
Look at that display.
The hiss, the strike.
Oop, there he goes.
The camouflage, I'm getting a full show.
Let's see what happens when I actually do set it here,
and hold it in position for a second.
You wanna calm down a bit?
Yep, I see there's your mouth
gaped open. (drumbeat booms)
Yeah, look at that.
Wow, That is incredible. (object screeches)
(thud resounds) And one of the coolest things
about these reptiles
is they're mildly venomous.
Their rear fangs are uniquely designed
in that they're used to deflate toads.
And in many instances,
a toad will puff up its body to seem bigger.
That also makes it a lot more difficult to swallow.
Well, when you're a snake
that has big, long, rear fangs
and you use those fangs
to pop holes in the toad, it deflates.
And then, of course, it can swallow
down that prey item.
And that, almost like a water moccasin,
is a threat that says,
"Don't get too close,
you don't want to take a bite from me."
(ominous music)
(leaves rustle) Oop, snake.
(tense music) Black hognose snake.
- Really? - Right here.
Okay, here we go, here we go.
Moving into defense pose.
Look at that hooding.
Wow, there it is.
Look at you!
Look at you, look at that coloration!
If we were making an episode
all about the variation in color...
Ah, oh, wait a minute.
You're turning your head upside down.
Are you about to put
on the death-roll display for us?
Something might be happening, here.
Oh, nope. Oh, oh, poop.
Little bit of poop.
Oh, and here we go.
It's happening, this is it.
This is the display, there it is!
There it is!
(chuckling) The snake, it did it!
Oh my goodness!
And you can see what it's doing,
is it is actually rubbing that musk
and defecation on itself to make,
oh my gosh,
the smell is atrocious, absolutely atrocious!
And by rubbing its musk all over it,
it probably would taste absolutely horrible.
Oh my goodness, (laughing) oh!
Wow. Look at this. (leaves crackling)
All right, I'm getting right down into the mix of it.
This is exactly what we were hoping to see.
Look at that, that is so cool.
On its back, revealing that lighter coloration,
mouth gaped open.
"Ugh, ya don't want to eat me!" (groans)
Look, it's drooling.
That is so weird.
Wow, I have read about this snake
putting on a performance like this
in every single book.
The hognose snake is famous
for its ability to play dead.
Now, I can promise you this snake
is very much alive,
and it will hold this position,
basically, until we've decided to move on.
And I've read that they will stay
in "Oops, I've croaked" mode
for close to 30 minutes.
(light music) What an interesting behavior
to have developed.
Now, in nature, anytime an animal
is dead and rotting,
it can be transmitting diseases
or all sorts of sicknesses
that, if another animal comes
in and consumes it,
could ultimately take down the consumer of that meat.
You may think that the snake would be
more vulnerable flipped over on its back like this,
but with the smell, the taste,
all those things combined,
most predators will be deterred
from consuming the snake at this point.
Let's see what happens
when I just pick up the head,
and show you the inside of the mouth.
Look at that.
(dramatic music) So bizarre-looking.
Now, in some areas, they refer to the hognose
as the zombie snake.
(air warbles) That's because while
it appears to be dead, it is still very much alive.
I would say today was
a hognose-snake extravaganza. (air whooshes)
We saw multiple specimens of varying colors,
and came across all of the quintessential threat displays.
Puffing up the body, hissing, (snake hissing)
flattening out the head,
even threatening to strike with a closed mouth.
But it wasn't until we saw
this ultimate award-winning performance
of playing dead
that I truly became impressed with this unique snake.
I'm Coyote Peterson.
Be brave, stay wild.
We'll see ya on the next adventure.
(tense music)
(thud resounds) (animal roars)
(animal shrieks) (birds chirping)