Animal of the Month

World Snake Day is July 16th

To celebrate World Snake Day on July 16, Discovery World is highlighting our newest resident, a Western Hognose Snake named Perseus, or Percy for short. He is the only male snake we have at Discovery World, and he is just over a year old, making him a snakelet, or a baby snake. While our other snakes at Discovery World eat every two weeks to stay healthy, Percy is still a baby and growing fast, so he eats every week. Western Hognose Snakes live to be about 10-20 years old. 

Although Percy is in his new home in our Great Lakes Future exhibit, it may be hard to find him. He is only about 9 inches long and weighs just 12 grams! He will grow to be about 2 feet long and weigh between 45-226 grams. Western Hognose Snakes love to dig in loose sand and soil, which is where they get their name. They have an upturned scale at the end of their snout that is perfect for burying themselves in the soil when it is time for brumation in the winter months. Brumation is similar to hibernation, during which the reptile goes through a period of sluggishness and inactivity due to long periods of cold. 

Hognose snakes are able to produce a mild venom, but don’t worry! Their venom is only harmful to the small prey they hunt, like toads and mice. Their venom wouldn’t harm a human, and because of this, the Hognose snake is not considered to be a venomous snake.