Digger the Western Hognose Snake is usually pretty docile. She arrived at the Museum in 2013 as a hatchling no bigger than a pencil. Since then, she has grown to about 30 inches long is accustomed to being handled. She doesn’t move around much during programs so her calm nature makes her a wonderful ambassador to people that might be afraid of snakes. But everyone can have a bad day – even a snake.
Digger was particularly agitated this day when I reached in the terrarium to clean her water bowl. Flattening her head like a cobra, she made herself look large while hissing loudly. Then she suddenly swung her head as if to strike. Digger was acting tough, but these small snakes rarely bite, usually striking with a closed mouth.
I didn’t want to upset her any longer and left her in peace. If her scare tactics hadn’t worked on me, she would have eventually resorted to her next line of defense: playing dead.
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