Yes, wild hogs will sometimes eat snakes, including venomous ones. Feral hogs are opportunistic omnivores that eat almost anything they can catch, but snakes are only a small part of their diet.
What wild hogs eat
Feral hogs (also called wild pigs or feral swine) use their strong snouts to root through soil. Their diet is mostly plants: roots, tubers, acorns, nuts, grasses, and crops. They also eat insects, worms, eggs, small animals, carrion, and now and then snakes and lizards. They will take whatever is easy and available.
Do hogs kill rattlesnakes?
There are many reports from ranchers and hunters of hogs killing and eating snakes, including rattlesnakes. A hog has thick skin and a layer of fat that can make a bite less likely to reach deep tissue, and hogs are not especially cautious animals. However, wildlife biologists do not consider the claim that hogs are fully immune to snake venom proven. A hog can still be bitten and harmed. Treat stories of hogs wiping out snakes as occasional behavior, not reliable snake control.
Other animals that eat snakes
- Hawks, eagles, and owls
- Kingsnakes and other snake-eating snakes
- Mongooses, badgers, and some wild cats
- Roadrunners and herons (for small snakes)
Related reading: do jaguars eat snakes, do lions eat snakes, and do goats eat snakes.
Wild hogs are not a pest-control plan
Feral hogs are an invasive species in many states. They tear up pastures and farmland, damage water sources, eat the eggs of ground-nesting birds and turtles, and carry diseases that can spread to livestock and people. If you have feral hogs on your property, contact your state wildlife agency or county extension office. Do not treat them as helpful. Handle hog carcasses with gloves, and cook wild game meat fully.
If you find a snake on your property
- Keep a safe distance and do not try to handle it.
- Keep grass short and clear brush, wood piles, and debris.
- Store feed in sealed bins so rodents, which attract snakes, stay away.
- Call a local wildlife professional if you cannot tell whether a snake is venomous.
Bottom Line
Wild hogs eat snakes opportunistically, but they are not immune to bites and are not a safe way to control snakes. Take care around both animals, and call local wildlife officials for help.
