Hognose Traditional Cache

Parking is at 41 39.968, 83 46.962

The cache is located along the short loop of the All-Purpose Trail in the SE portion of the park. This trail is an ideal surface for bicycles, strollers, and wheelchairs.

The hognose is one of the distinctive species found in the sandy soil habitat of the Oak Openings region, in which Secor Metropark is located. Hognose snakes vary greatly in color, ranging from yellow/brown to red or gray, depending on when and where it is found. The most reliable field mark is the turned-up, hoglike snout, which is used for digging out the toads that are its primary food.

If you happen upon a hognose you’re in for quite a show. The snake is harmless, but it is known for behaving like other snakes. A master of deceit, the completely harmless hognose can put on an act that will frighten the bravest of people The snake will flare its neck like a cobra, hiss, coil its body and strike menacingly like a rattlesnake. For an encore, it will roll over, convulsing dramatically, and stick out its tongue in a death scene worthy of an Academy Award. It may even bleed from its mouth as if mortally wounded. It may hiss fiercely, and attempt to strike violently. The strike--usually made with the mouth closed--almost always falls short of the target.

Mimicry and bluffing are just two of the defensive maneuvers in the hognose’s repertoire. When cornered, it may spray a coyote, badger, curious child or other predator with a foul smelling musk, or hurl the contents of its belly – most likely an undigested toad – in the direction of the attacker.

But it’s all an elaborate con. People have nothing to fear from the great pretender named for the snout-like, upturned scales on the front of its face. The hognose’s teeth are positioned so far back in its jaws, it is unlikely it could puncture human skin. Toads, however, have reason to be wary. The hognose uses these teeth to "deflate" toads that puff themselves up with air to keep themselves from being swallowed

The contrasts of tall timber, rolling, sandy hills and wet lowlands make Secor an interesting Metropark to explore. The towering tulip trees and northwest Ohio's largest concentration of dogwoods bloom in spring, when wildflowers blanket the moist forest floor.

A focal point at Secor for people and wildlife alike is a pond stained brown by the tannic acid in the oak leaves that drop into it each fall. In spring, the pond is covered by duckweed, which shades the water, keeping it cool. The trunks of many of the trees in Secor's swamp forest widen at the base, an adaptation called buttressing that gives the trees added support in the wet, unstable soil.

Wolfinger Cemetery, located inside the park, is the burial site of many of Richfield Township's earliest settlers.

The National Center for Nature Photography, opened in spring 2003 inside Secor, displays the works of some of the country's best-known nature photographers. The one-of-a-kind center is open from noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays, Memorial Day, Labor Day and the Fourth of July. Admission is free. Workshops offer opportunities for field experience with nature photographers and naturalists.

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