Care Sheet for Hognose SnakesAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 4.68 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 08/14/2005 |
Main Category: | Snakes |
Sub Category: | Hognose Snakes |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Pamula |
Years Experience: | 5 to 10 Years |
Species: | Western Hognose (Heterodon Nasicus) |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | Mexican hognose (Heterodon kennerlyi) |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Upturned rostral scale, keeled scales, color variation from deep red-brown to light grey, albinism does occur. Western hognoses can get up to about 600 grams as adults - but the average weight is probably more like 150-350 grams, depending on sex and appetite.
Males have longer tails than females - they are easy to visually sex from birth - if you have one of known sex to compare to. Adult females are generally longer and thicker than adult males.
Probably the most interesting thing about the Western Hognose is their defensive display: they will hiss and strike closed-mouthed, puffing up to make themselves look bigger. If that doesn’t work, they will musk and emit a foul odor. Their third line of defense is to play dead.... |
Mostly Active During: | Day |
Substrate and Water Needs: | We have successfully used Apsen bedding, with a bowl of water for them to drink/soak. We find them to be ’thirstier" than many give them credit for, and they will usually drink right out of your hand if you spray water in it. Although they like a drier environment, it is important to provide a water bowl. |
Lighting and UVB: | No UVB requirement...but according to Hognose.com (a now defunct site) - some studies have shown they may benefit from UVB. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Daytime: 70-85 with hot spot up to 95 for warming
nighttime: 60-80
humidity: about 40% is ideal, always provide a water bowl. |
Heating and Equipment: | Undertank heating pad or overhead incandescent light - either is fine, as long as a gradient is provided. |
Caging Provided: | 10-20 gallon tanks or sterilite tubs will do just fine. They like to burrow - so we provide a lot of aspen bedding - and though they tend to try to escape by burrowing - it is possible for them to escape through the top - so a secure cage lid is essential. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | We started ours on toad-scented frozen/thawed pinkie mice, and have had much success with weaning them off the toad-scenting. As adults, they can eat hoppers (the larger ones can eat full-grown mice.) Most of the time they are voracious eaters - but males, especially, are prone to go off feed - sometimes for several months. Careful weighing can determine if there is something wrong - they are losing weight - or if they are simply not hungry.
Sometimes we "boost" a hognose that has been off feed for a while by toad-scenting (that is - rubbing the parotoid glands of a North American toad of the Bufo genus onto the mouse) or "split-braining" the mouse. This usually gets them hungry again.... |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | |
Maintenance: | There guys need a spot cage cleaning about 3 or 4 days after they eat, but they are one of the cleanest species we’ve ever kept. |
Some Words on this Species: | Probably one of the best pet snakes out there. They have such endearing personalities and are easy to take care of if you don’t mind being challenged by occasional food finickiness... |
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