That is the first defense of the hog-nosed snake (flattening its head, like a cobra, and hissing). If that doesn’t scare you off, they will strike… but they keep their mouth closed, while striking, so all you get is a nose bump. If that doesn’t scare you off, they will go into convulsions, eventually playing dead: lying silent, belly up, mouth open and tongue hanging out. But if you roll them over, onto their belly, they will roll belly up again, as if they think being belly-up is the only proper way to be dead. They are completely harmless to humans, and they’re my favorite snake.
That is the first defense of the hog-nosed snake (flattening its head, like a cobra, and hissing). If that doesn’t scare you off, they will strike… but they keep their mouth closed, while striking, so all you get is a nose bump. If that doesn’t scare you off, they will go into convulsions, eventually playing dead: lying silent, belly up, mouth open and tongue hanging out. But if you roll them over, onto their belly, they will roll belly up again, as if they think being belly-up is the only proper way to be dead. They are completely harmless to humans, and they’re my favorite snake.