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  1. #1
    Registered User Mittens's Avatar
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    Interested in getting a hognose

    Hi everyone,

    I recently got my first ball not too long ago and I'm already itching to expand my collection. I've done some extensive research on hognoses and I've got the care part pretty much down (they aren't much different from other colubrids). I love the gentleness of my Bel but I want something thats more inquisitive, hence my search for a colubrid.


    I know they can sometimes be fussy eaters, as well as making a mess when it comes time to poop. But are there any other things I should be aware of? I'll number these so its easier to answer/read.

    1. Generally speaking, how often do adult western hognoses eat and poop?



    3. How serious is their tendency to go off feed?



    4. How are they different temperamental wise (again, generally speaking) compared to corn and king snakes?


    Thanks in advance
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  2. #2
    BPnet Senior Member AlexisFitzy's Avatar
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    Re: Interested in getting a hognose

    Well I can't answer any of your questions because I got my first hognose in April and he's just a baby. He's also my first colubrid so I don't know much about corns or kings BUT I can tell you that I've been having a BLAST with my little hoggy Armin. I absolutely love their little personalities and all of their little bluffs. They are really active so very different from bps. I see mine digging every morning and he even pops out sometimes when I open his tub. So I definitely recommend one. You won't regret it also I bought my hoggy from Geckos Etc and they are wonderful people to buy from. They answered all my questions and my hoggy arrived quickly and in perfect condition. Hope this is still helpful even though I didn't answer any of your questions.

  3. #3
    BPnet Senior Member AlexisFitzy's Avatar
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    Re: Interested in getting a hognose

    Also Deborah should comment soon, I consult her on all my hognose related questions. She's helped me a lot with mine

  4. #4
    BPnet Senior Member Marissa@MKmorphs's Avatar
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    I have had hogs for a while, but recently rehomed all of mine. Quite honestly, as cute as they are, I found them to be more of a pain than an enjoyment. Hit or miss feeding, not very handleable, always having the fear of getting bit (I don't know how I would react to their mild "venom", and didn't feel it was worth risking a trip to the hospital). My hogs were VERY food motivated. Went mouth first to anything that I placed in the tank.

    I have found many more of the intermediate species snakes easier to care for than these guys. They aren't a snake I would recommend as a second species. I am probably in the minority with this statement though.

    As far as smaller, more inquisitive snakes, I absolutely am infatuated with Antaresia (Children's Pythons, Spotted Pythons, Anthill/Pygmy Pythons, and Stimson's). Children's and Spotteds are both very readily available, fantastic eaters, great personality, and generally just really cool animals. All of mine handle very easily, while they can be bitey as babies, their mouths are so small their teeth don't even make contact. They do well in racks or as display animals, as they will climb around and explore instead of staying hidden or burrowed in the aspen, like my hogs would do.

    I just wanted to be honest and give you a different side of things. Nothing wrong with hogs, but for me I didn't find all my time and effort being put into them very rewarding.
    ~Marissa~


  5. #5
    Registered User midgard's Avatar
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    I am also interested in getting a hognose. I just got my ball several months ago but I know where there is lots of hognose snakes and they are interesting.

  6. #6
    Registered User black06gt's Avatar
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    Re: Interested in getting a hognose

    Quote Originally Posted by Mittens View Post
    I know they can sometimes be fussy eaters, as well as making a mess when it comes time to poop. But are there any other things I should be aware of? I'll number these so its easier to answer/read.

    1. Generally speaking, how often do adult western hognoses eat and poop?

    3. How serious is their tendency to go off feed?

    4. How are they different temperamental wise (again, generally speaking) compared to corn and king snakes?

    I picked up 3 hog nose snake mid last year and they are awesome little snakes. I also read they could be difficult to get started feeding on mice so I did my research before purchasing them and found a breeder with good feedback and quality looking animals. I purchased a male High Orange Albino Anaconda and a Extreme Red Albino female hatching that were born June or July and a yearling female Anaconda Het Albino. When I received them they were already feeding on frozen thawed pinkie mice.
    I also have ball pythons ( think I'm up to 20 Bp's ) and wanted to expand my collection and I don't regret picking them up at all.

    1. I feed my Hog nose smaller meals every 4 - 5 days. I used to feed one larger size meal once a week but they seemed to be lazy after. They will let you know when they are hungry, they get really active and my male will use is nose and try to push the lid off his tub lol ( If you do decided to get a hog nose a tub with a locking lid is a must). Mine poop a lot usually 3-4 days after they eat but I feed smaller and more often.

    2. What happened to number 2 ?? lol

    3. I'm coming up on a year with me Hog's and the only one who's ever turned down a meal was the male but it only lasted a couple weeks. My females will eat everyday if they could they both eat even in shed.

    4. My male and the older female both have BIG personalities lol. The male will huff and puff, flare out his neck like a little cobra and pretend to strike but he never opens his mouth he just hits you with his hard little nose it really funny. The Albino female is the complete opposite she's super mellow and laid back like a ball python. Once you pick them up out of their tubs the stop huffing and puffing, I haven't spent a lot of time handling them but I'm sure they would mellow out if I spent more time holding them.

    We are currently taking care of a King Snake & a Gofer Snake from the school my girlfriend works at and I cant even put my hand in the tub without the King snake trying to eat me lol.

    I found that Hogs like it a little warmer than other colubrids, I keep mine at 92* on the hot side and upper 70's - 80 on the cool side. When I kept them cooler ( upper 80's ) they spent a lot of time on the hot side.

  7. #7
    BPnet Royalty KMG's Avatar
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    I have had mine for a couple years now. She is from wild caught parents and seems to be a dwarf. When I first got her she was a bit picky about eating but after I bumped her temps up a little she has been eating great ever since. She will only eat live so she stays on a week to two week feeding schedule as live feeders are not close to me.

    I would not call her inquisitive. Pissy or stubborn is a better fit for her. She always hisses and kicks around with some hood action when I enter the tank. Luckily she stopped musking me, that was awful.

    She did bite me one time and though I had a tiny amount of swelling it did nothing more, but she was not latched on long as I pulled her off pretty quick. This was not feeding related so after that I lift her out of her tank with my large tweezers. Once she is out she is fine and will let me handle her fine.

    I enjoy her as she is active and will climb around, swim in her water, and dig tunnels all over her tank. However because of her attitude I don't take her out to often. Although to be fair I don't handle my snakes to often, compared to most. I like to observe them and usually leave them be most days.

    I had a very large Cali King and he was a really nice snake. He fed well and let me handle him with ease. He was much easier to get along with than my Hoggy.
    Last edited by KMG; 05-20-2015 at 09:50 AM.
    KMG
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    0.1 Blonde Madagascar Hognose 1.0 Columbian Boa

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  8. #8
    Telling it like it is! Stewart_Reptiles's Avatar
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    Re: Interested in getting a hognose

    1/ They eat a lot and they seem to poop even more. Basically what goes in goes out very soon after, they have a high metabolism and you will spend more times cleaning hogs than BP. As for feeding my adults are fed every 5 days for the most part, I do have a 700 grams female that prefer a 7 day schedule.

    2/ ?

    3/ They do not go off feed like BP do if that is your concern, if kept properly at the right temp year round they may not go of feed at all.

    Generally the males are the ones that are more likely to go off feed if it happens.

    4/ They can be vocal when opening the cage (full cobra mide), but again some are very laid back.

    They are a lot easier to handle than kings or corns, they move less, do not musk or bite which is a problem you often have to deal with when owning young corns or kings.
    Deborah Stewart


  9. #9
    BPnet Royalty KMG's Avatar
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    Re: Interested in getting a hognose

    Quote Originally Posted by Deborah View Post
    They are a lot easier to handle than kings or corns, they move less, do not musk or bite which is a problem you often have to deal with when owning young corns or kings.
    I have had the opposite experience. My King never gave me any issues other than having a super strong feeding response. My Hoggy used to musk me every time I did anything around her. I'm very thankful she grew out of that.
    KMG
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    0.1 Blonde Madagascar Hognose 1.0 Columbian Boa

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  10. #10
    Registered User anicatgirl's Avatar
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    I have handled one of my local breeder's little hoggie babies a few times. Super cute and never once been anything but curious. Breeder has 100+ eggs incubating, so I'll get my pick when they hatch Sooooo excited!!!!!
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