Hognose feeding/husbandry tips?

[whitefang245]

I have a young male Hognose that's giving me a bit of trouble. I've had him since mid-November, and he's ate pretty well. He didn't like the tongs, but once I showed it to him and left it, he ate no problem. Suddenly for about a month, month and a half or so, he's been refusing food pretty strongly. It's like the pinky freaks him out. I currently have him in a 10 gallon tank on aspen bedding. He has a couple hides, but he prefers to just hide under the aspen. I haven't been handling him much since he stopped eating. He's still young. He weighs about 13 grams. Any ideas why he's stopped? Is it safe for him to go so long without eating? Am I doing something wrong with the mouse? I've tried putting him in a feeding cage for a few hours, but he's uninterested. I've also brained it.

[andrewross8705]

I've had two males that have gone off food. One for a little over 2 months and one that just ate after nearly 3 months. They are notorious for being picky eaters and I've learned that males can be especially picky.

Few questions. What is your hot spot temp and ambient temp? Do you have the heat controlled by a thermostat or rheostat.

The size of a 10g may be stressing him out. Try putting him into a 6qt tub as it's smaller and can help him feel more secure.

Have you tried a live pinky? Scenting the F/T with chicken broth or tuna can also sometimes helps. Other scents are lizards and toads/frogs. You can also leave the pinky in the enclosure overnight to see if that works.