New Western hognose.

[Hardwikk]

Beautiful snake, are those agressive or are they pretty docile?

Nice Hogger! But mine's brighter :-P! I think a bite-aggressive Western Hognose snake is inexistent. Sure they bluff, but they don't bite. So basically every Western Hognose snake is docile.

[Hardwikk]

Great! Now your into venomous??

What are you talking about? Just because they have venom it doesn't mean that they're a threat! Hognose snake venom isn't anywhere near dangerous. And it's almost impossible to get bitten by one unless it's a feeding response. I've heard stories of people putting their fingers in a Hognose snake's mouth and the snake tried to get them out! Obviously the venom isn't used for defense, but to aid in eating frogs.

[Hardwikk]

haha. such scary snakes. lol.

would you consider them hots? or is that just front fanged venomous snakes?

No, because the venom isn't even close to dangerous and Hognose snakes don't bite to defend themselves anyway! Also most rear-fanged snakes aren't considered hots because they aren't dangerous (besides the Boomslang and maybe some others I haven't heard about).

EDIT-Off topic: Has anybody noticed that this is the 32nd topic with the tag "hognose" for 2008 (hint-hint, admins)?

[MarkS]

Nice Hogger! But mine's brighter :-P:

You know this is your fault. You got me thinking about them again on that other thread. And this time I couldn't make the voices stop.....

Has anybody noticed that this is the 32nd topic with the tag "hognose" for 2008 (hint-hint, admins)?

They really are getting to be more and more popular, I think all the new morphs coming out have a lot to do with that.

Mark

[qiksilver]

Ryan in your blind haste to defend your favorite snake/the only one you seem to know anything about, you forget to tell people that hoggie venom is considered similar to a bee sting, meaning if you're allergic then you'll have serious swelling. A man a few years ago documented his allergic response to his hog chewing his finger as a feeding response, and it swelled all the way to his elbow.

So i'll agree, no they're not dangerous as a rule, and yes, they're quite docile, but honestly...



But I digress, beautiful hog Mark.

[MarkS]

Great! Now your into venomous??

Yeah well you know what a wildly reckless kind of guy I am.... I even free handle my hog....

Here is a quote from a website that a friend of mine has.

Hognose snakes are opisthoglyphous (having fangs at the back of the mouth) and they use this feature to "deflate" toads which may puff themselves up with air to unswallowable proportions. I mentioned earlier these snakes were non venomous, but there is some evidence that they may be mildly venomous. Although hognoses have fangs, they apparently have no ducts or grooves through which venom could be administered. They also have no venom glands but two species, the western and southern hognose snakes, H. simus, contain partoid glands. This appears irrelevant, however, as many cases of envenomation have been caused by the eastern hognose which lacks the partoid glands. It is thought that the venom is hemotoxic. It is not known whether it is an actual venom that is produced or reactions due to saliva or bacteria. These snakes can hardly be induced to bite, even in the wild, and therefore cases are rare. There are more cases involving H. platyrhinos so please refer to the account on Heterodon platyrhinos.

Here are his website URL's they have some pretty good info on the snakes of Iowa and Minnesota.

http://www.herpnet.net/Iowa-Herpetol...d=66&Itemid=26

http://www.herpnet.net/Minnesota-Her...ose_snake.html

[waltah!]

What are you talking about? Just because they have venom it doesn't mean that they're a threat! Hognose snake venom isn't anywhere near dangerous. And it's almost impossible to get bitten by one unless it's a feeding response. I've heard stories of people putting their fingers in a Hognose snake's mouth and the snake tried to get them out! Obviously the venom isn't used for defense, but to aid in eating frogs.

Uhhh....I believe Jas was kidding......
Mark, Congrats! I love my hoggie.

[Kara]

Awww, what a cutie! Congrats on the new addition Mark...they're such winsome little snakes & fun to keep!

[DSGB]

What are you talking about? Just because they have venom it doesn't mean that they're a threat! Hognose snake venom isn't anywhere near dangerous. And it's almost impossible to get bitten by one unless it's a feeding response. I've heard stories of people putting their fingers in a Hognose snake's mouth and the snake tried to get them out! Obviously the venom isn't used for defense, but to aid in eating frogs.

who in the hell lets thier snake chew on their finger? weird.

[littleindiangirl]

HoggIES are adoraaaaable.