Regarding hognose

[StupidZombie]

Ive been researching these guys for a while now.

But everywhere i go, every breeder around me i talk to, everything and everyone has conflicting things.

I dont want to buy one just to then make a mistake.

I know of their feeding responses, i got to watch a local breeder feed and he laughed as he explained the response and how when he's not feeding he has to tap them to let them know its not food time.

I know of the supposed toxicity these guys hold, this is one of those up for debate? One breeder says no its more of bacteria than vemom, another says it is venom but it doesnt really affect you, another said they got out of hognoses because they can really damage you?

Then comes the feeding.
They dont get big, so rats are a nono? Though ive heard conflicting things here too. One said they cant digest rats properly so they risk death another said its just the fact they arent big enough to eat them, another said they feed rat weanlings to his. Mice only? Again this is for a hognose to thrive under my care, I want all the info i can get.

How often do they bite? Brian or is it bryan? Of BHB once said the top beginner snake he recommends are hognoses. Ill have to find that video again. I enjoy watching snakebytetv.

im interested in getting into the hognose species, theyre an adorable snake, but im all ball pythons and down to one red tail boa. I did own a corn and a king once but that was when i was younger.

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[Stewart_Reptiles]

Let's start with feeding, because they are smaller snake the prey item fed to an adult with range from small adult to jumbo mice, while you could feed a rats that size, I do not recommend it as a main staple as rats that young are fatter and their bones are not as calcified. I usually offer rats for 3/4 feedings after brumation, and for 3/4 feedings after effects laying. Fatty liver disease can be a concern.

There is NO way to feed a weanling rat to a hognose, way too big at the most you can feed a pup to a large female and I mean LARGE.

Now when it come to feeding some have a wild feeding response but so long you are holding the prey with some hemostats there will not be any issue. I never tap the enclosure when it's time for food they know and if I open the enclosure on any other day they don't think it's for food either.

Hognose are venemous snake, they are rear fanging animals with a very mild venom. Now the good news is that hognose very rarely bite and if they do it is a feeding bite. A quick tag and release bite would not likely cause a reaction, now a feeding bite if they get to chew on you for a while can cause a reaction such as swelling at the bite site, your hand and part of your arm (different people different reaction), not something that can damage you or make anyone get out of it because of it.

I am a bite magnet and this is the one species that has never bit me in the past 5 years of raising and breeding them, so again not in their demeanor.



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[blbsnakes]

Ive been researching these guys for a while now.

But everywhere i go, every breeder around me i talk to, everything and everyone has conflicting things.

I dont want to buy one just to then make a mistake.

I know of their feeding responses, i got to watch a local breeder feed and he laughed as he explained the response and how when he's not feeding he has to tap them to let them know its not food time.

I know of the supposed toxicity these guys hold, this is one of those up for debate? One breeder says no its more of bacteria than vemom, another says it is venom but it doesnt really affect you, another said they got out of hognoses because they can really damage you?

Then comes the feeding.
They dont get big, so rats are a nono? Though ive heard conflicting things here too. One said they cant digest rats properly so they risk death another said its just the fact they arent big enough to eat them, another said they feed rat weanlings to his. Mice only? Again this is for a hognose to thrive under my care, I want all the info i can get.

How often do they bite? Brian or is it bryan? Of BHB once said the top beginner snake he recommends are hognoses. Ill have to find that video again. I enjoy watching snakebytetv.

im interested in getting into the hognose species, theyre an adorable snake, but im all ball pythons and down to one red tail boa. I did own a corn and a king once but that was when i was younger.

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Hello,
Lots of good questions.

Idk of anybody ever having any severe reaction to a Hognose bite. I am curious to read up on it if it did happen though.

They are a small snake. Even a big female would never need anything larger than what a mouse can offer. They can eat rats of appropriate size though. A hatchling Hognose is way to small to eat a tiny pinky rat. So, some mice will be necessary.

I only have anecdotal evidence as far as bites go. I can offer my experience, and that is, that Hognoses never bite. I have never not even once in the 5 years of owning and 3 years of hatching a couple dozen babies, gotten bitten. If a person is careless during feeding they may get bitten. Otherwise, not even once has a Hognose even so much as opened its mouth in my direction. They do close mouth fake strike and hiss though. It's sort of funny. Since they almost always go completely limp noodle as soon as you pick them up.

Hogs are awesome!

Best of luck

[Albert Clark]

Also, its the Western hognose that is the most prevalent in the hobby. Because of feeding specifics, eastern hognose is more picky and enjoy frogs, toads, and lizards as prey. The eastern hognose is harder to switch over to rodent feedings as well. Its them (eastern) and southern hognose that are prone to the liver problems that stem from a rodent based diet. Its unclear if the western hognose is susceptible to the same thing. Rodent based diet although considered complete nutrition can shorten the life span of the eastern and southern hognose.