ATLANTA � The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposes listing the southern hognose snake as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. In addition to listing the species, the Service is also proposing a tailored rule under Section 4(d) of the ESA that outlines protections and exceptions to prohibitions of take resulting from certain land management activities.
The southern hognose snake faces threats from habitat loss, fragmentation, road mortality and non-native species. It depends on open-canopy, upland habitats with sandy soils and grassy understory � conditions historically maintained by fire.
“Conserving the southern hognose snake is also about protecting the vital landscapes that benefit our communities,� said Service Field Office Supervisor Christy Johnson Hughes." “We are working with the Longleaf Alliance, The Nature Conservancy, state wildlife agencies, and private landowners to conserve the open-canopy, fire-dependent ecosystems, to preserve natural buffers that reduce storm damage, enhance water quality and support local economies and livelihoods.�
To address these threats, the proposed 4(d) rule would allow exceptions to “take� resulting from conservation-oriented land management activities such as prescribed burns, sustainable forestry practices, invasive plant control, and certain utility maintenance.
This secretive snake is native to Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, but is now found only in the latter four states. It is the smallest of the hognose species and plays a vital role in the Southeast’s longleaf pine and sandhills ecosystems.
The proposal will publish in the Federal Register on August 29, 2025, initiating a 60-day comment period. Information on how to submit comments is at by searching for the docket number FWS–R4–ES�2025�0210.
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