# Colubrids > Hognose >  "Blonde" Hognoses

## Hapa_Haole

Sorry to be a nuisance but I got another hoggie question for you guys!  :Bowdown: 

At the reptile show I saw some hognoses labeled as "blonde hognoses" and I think they ran for 80$. Is blonde a morph, a name for an especially light colored western hognose, or a different subspecies?

I ask because if I'm remembering correctly the little guys looked like westerns just with lighter coloring. But when I go to hognose.com I see the name Malagasy Blonde Hognosed Snake listed as a different subspecies and their coloring is solid gold. So what's the deal? Maybe the neonates start out speckled but lose it with age?

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## Dragnbaron

> Sorry to be a nuisance but I got another hoggie question for you guys! 
> 
> At the reptile show I saw some hognoses labeled as "blonde hognoses" and I think they ran for 80$. Is blonde a morph, a name for an especially light colored western hognose, or a different subspecies?
> 
> I ask because if I'm remembering correctly the little guys looked like westerns just with lighter coloring. But when I go to hognose.com I see the name Malagasy Blonde Hognosed Snake listed as a different subspecies and their coloring is solid gold. So what's the deal? Maybe the neonates start out speckled but lose it with age?


Well, i have a few questions for you. 1. who was the breeder? 2. what show did you see this at?
Ok, i have never heard of a blonde morph. That's not to say there isn't one but i doubt someone would name a morph blonde knowing there is a giant hognose that is blonde.
The Malagasy blond hognoses are usually not solid in color but have a slight speckled pattern to them. They actually look like a speckled but VERY light in color.
As for having a malagasy in America, from my understanding the majority of them are WC. I have never seen a CBB one in America. Again, not to say there aren't any but i have checked all over and have not been able to find any.
For the price, it sounds like a light colored normal heterodon. The Malagasies are usually large even when born so they are pretty easy to tell apart, and their face is completely different.

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## Hapa_Haole

The breeder was Susquehanna Ectotherms from the Havre De Grace show in Maryland. 

The show was about a month ago and I didn't spend too much time looking at the Blondes so my memory isn't a reliable source as for as patterns go. But I do remember them being incredibly small which probably rules out them being Malagasies. 

I was curious about them at the show but too dumb to ask. The next time I go I'll be sure to ask and then post the answer here. I trust that the breeder isn't making up the blonde morph and has some logical explanation for it. Or maybe like you said there really is a blonde morph. Here is the guys website if you want to dig a bit further. http://www.s-ecto.com And thanks for the help as always!

-Dennis

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## Hapa_Haole

Well I followed my own advice and went to his website. Heres what he had to say about them. 



> Common Name:Hognose Snake, Western Blond
> Scientific Name: Heterdon nasicus nasicus
> Morph:Blonde morph
> Genetics: Proven,see below


Description:



> I first started breeding Western Hognose in 1996. One pair that I acquired in 98 produced some really nice looking pale blondish hatchlings. I kept those offspring and bred them a few years later and produced all Blondes. When breeding Blonde males to normal Western females some of the offspring will look Blonde as well. 2nd generation Blondes bred to each other produce some incredible looking babies. Some of these offspring are so pale that they almost look patternless.


Here's the link to where I found the info with pics. http://www.s-ecto.com/collection/vie...sp?id=20051030

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## Dragnbaron

> Well I followed my own advice and went to his website. Heres what he had to say about them. 
> 
> Description:
> 
> 
> Here's the link to where I found the info with pics. http://www.s-ecto.com/collection/vie...sp?id=20051030


Nice digging.
Seems to me from the photos that they aren't too special, in my opinion. They look like normal hognoses to the T. I have a Mexican that has a reduced pattern, and looks like one solid color during his shed. Seems interesting and all but i don't think i'd consider it a true morph.

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## Hapa_Haole

Thanks. I definitely won't dish out the extra cash for one then.

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## sg1trogdor

Yeah just scan through kingsnake you can find all kinds of stuff on there.

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## RichardA

Those are not Blonde Hognose.......Blonde Hognose are _Leioheterodon modestus_ They get waaaayyyyy bigger then NA hogs and can get the fangs into play with a bite not a chew.

I will try to dig up my pics of mine but for now go here:

http://www.hognose.com/pages/species/blonde.htm

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## RichardA

Oh.....and as far as I have seen so far.....no "blonde" morph is out there. Just so you know.

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## Dragnbaron

> Oh.....and as far as I have seen so far.....no "blonde" morph is out there. Just so you know.


Yep, that's what mine looks like. I couldn't find a blond morph, either.

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## RedDevil

> Oh.....and as far as I have seen so far.....no "blonde" morph is out there. Just so you know.



There is a "blonde" morph of the Mexican Hognose. Richard Evans had it years ago, produced some hets, and then apparently sold the only visual in 2004-2005 to a Japanese man that did not want to breed it.

I know where one pair of hets landed, but they never got any eggs from it. No idea where any others are. I was told that the trait was proven genetic, though.

Here is the old pic from Richard's site:

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## FastDad

There are also some High Yellow ones with faded pattern, that were caled "Blonde" (similar to the human blonds)

Stefan

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## Dragnbaron

> There is a "blonde" morph of the Mexican Hognose. Richard Evans had it years ago, produced some hets, and then apparently sold the only visual in 2004-2005 to a Japanese man that did not want to breed it.
> 
> I know where one pair of hets landed, but they never got any eggs from it. No idea where any others are. I was told that the trait was proven genetic, though.
> 
> Here is the old pic from Richard's site:


Seems to look more like an anaconda hognose, not necessarily a 'blond.' Hognoses come in all colors and sizes but a green hognose is still a green phase hognose and a red hognose is still a red phase hognose and those aren't morphs just different colors they are naturally found with.
Perhappes there is a blond phase? Still i wouldn't shell out extra cash for a blond or a green or a red or extreme red unless it was for an albino.
That said, i want to find that japanese guy and tell him to breed it! It's a beautiful looking snake. I'll see you in Osaka!

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## RedDevil

> Seems to look more like an anaconda hognose, not necessarily a 'blond.' Hognoses come in all colors and sizes but a green hognose is still a green phase hognose and a red hognose is still a red phase hognose and those aren't morphs just different colors they are naturally found with.
> Perhappes there is a blond phase? Still i wouldn't shell out extra cash for a blond or a green or a red or extreme red unless it was for an albino.
> That said, i want to find that japanese guy and tell him to breed it! It's a beautiful looking snake. I'll see you in Osaka!


Well, Richard named the morph "Blonde," so that is necessarily what one looks like. lol

Definately not an Anaconda. Different coloration (although I can see the similarity in pattern), and this one is recessive as opposed to co-dom. This snake was also around way before Anacondas popped up. I know that pic alone has been floating around since atleast 2001.

I actually just picked up an extreme red Albino. My first Hog morph.

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## Hyper Joe

> Seems to look more like an anaconda hognose, not necessarily a 'blond.' Hognoses come in all colors and sizes but a green hognose is still a green phase hognose and a red hognose is still a red phase hognose and those aren't morphs just different colors they are naturally found with.
> Perhappes there is a blond phase? Still i wouldn't shell out extra cash for a blond or a green or a red or extreme red unless it was for an albino.
> That said, i want to find that japanese guy and tell him to breed it! It's a beautiful looking snake. I'll see you in Osaka!


The price was only $80 which really is not much more than retail for a normal western. Maybe $10-20 more. In the bottom pic I do see the color difference or should I say shade. It definitely is lighter, has more blotches instead of bands. I would say it is definitely a nice looking hognose. Would I call it a morph? Well, the guy says it is and he has bred it to prove it is co-dom. If he is not lying. Ask for pics of the parents or others he produced. If he shows proof of their co-dom linage then I would tinker with it. 

I have a Ball Python that reduces the black patterns but I do not call it a morph or such. I just call it a normal that has a nice pattern that can be passed on. 

However, I do not agree with the pic on the top. That looks like a normal western.

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## Adam_S

Some hognose snakes are unusually light and some keepers refer to them as blonde phase.  These fall within the normal variablity of western hognose snakes and are therefore 'normal western hogs' like you noticed.  A really nice blonde phase normal western would be worth $80 to me ... but I wouldn't call it a 'morph' or anything like that.

Brunette normal


Blonde normal

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## Adam_S

I labeled the dark normal girl a Brunette to illustrate the point ... LOL believe me when I say that I've never actually referred to a hognose snake as a Brunette

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## Hapa_Haole

> LOL believe me when I say that I've never actually referred to a hognose snake as a Brunette


Lol whatcha got against brunettes, huh?!?  :Good Job: 

Thanks for the info. 

-Dennis

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## Adam_S

LOL ... love brunettes  :Very Happy:

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## Kite

> Those are not Blonde Hognose.......Blonde Hognose are _Leioheterodon modestus_ They get waaaayyyyy bigger then NA hogs and can get the fangs into play with a bite not a chew.
> 
> I will try to dig up my pics of mine but for now go here:
> 
> http://www.hognose.com/pages/species/blonde.htm




So Richard, I know this is an old post, but I am new to this forum.  You said that you would dig up pics of yours....do you actually have some?  I have a pair that I was looking to make into a trio if possible   :Smile:

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