Leioheterodon modestus
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
Leioheterodon modestus, also known as the blonde hognose snake or the Madagascan golden hognose, is a species of rear-fanged (opisthoglyphous) snake in the family Pseudoxyrhophiidae (previously considered a subfamily of Colubridae). Leioheterodon are the largest hognose snakes in the world, and L. modestus is endemic to Madagascar. Regarding conservation and population, it is considered a species of least concern.
These snakes are a semi-fossorial diurnal species that can be found in forests, on the edges of forests, human-altered areas and disrupted habitats. While some populations have been described as being restricted to thick forests and forest fragments, other literature on Leioheterodon modestus shows a generally patchy distribution within central, western and southern Madagascar. They can be found during both rainy and dry season in forests, as well as on forest edges, in open areas and in anthropogenic (human-altered) environments.
They are endemic to Madagascar. Multiple accounts describe this species being found in elevations between 40–300 m (130–980 ft). However, one account describes two individuals 200 km east of their known range, as well... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ankarafantsika National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Blonde Hognose Snake sighting in Ankarafantsika National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 13th most-seen of the 20 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Blonde Hognose Snake in Ankarafantsika National Park on a given day, against about 10% in April, July and September, the lowest months. That is one of Ankarafantsika National Park's wettest months, with about 560 mm of rain against almost none in August. February and March have too few records to rate.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Blonde Hognose Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Ankarafantsika National Park, in our data
Ankarafantsika National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Blonde Hognose Snake sightings: about 40% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Blonde Hognose Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Ankarafantsika National Park (12 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
