Hogger Interest

[Thor26]

Well im thinking of getting a hoggie and ive read alot of contradictory statements on husbandry. My plan is to do a ten gallon with hide water dish and about 2 inches of aspen. With a hot side of 85-88 and a cool side of 75-88 does this sound about right? If not ffel free to suggest other methods.

[DSGB]

sounds good to me, my hognose doesnt use his hide, he likes to burrow more than anything. I gave him about 3-4 inches of aspen, he spends alot of time under all of it and seems to be a happy snake. never missed a meal and had a bad shed.

i say get one, they have they best personalities.

[Thor26]

well ill offer the hide at first and if he doesnt use it ill take it out and just decorate with plants =]

[spaceturtle]

I know the feeling on husbandry, but I will say that my hog tends to like it really warm. My cool side is about 78-82 and the warm spot is about 88-92. It's basically the same as for my ball python and I haven't notice any strange behaviors from either snake yet. She spends a lot of time burrowed down into the warmest spot in the tub but will also come out and stretch herself out. She used hides back when she was in a tank but now that she's in a tub she doesn't use the hides anymore so I just took them out.

[DSGB]

i wish i had a video of mine coming out of its little den, he starts wiggling and darting around, its way too funny.

[whytepizza]

Yep, i agree, everything sounds good.
Once they get older you can change the substrate to crushed walnet shells (i know people will argue with me) if you'd like. I use it for everything except my tropical or neotropical snakes (although i do use it for my baby ball pythons then switch the to a rack system).
The only reason i use it is it's close to my western and mexican hognose natural habitat. I don't like using play sand because it's messy (i hate sand in my shoes). Any i actually don't use a hot end and cold end. The temp fluctuates from 75-86 depending where the cage is placed (i have 4 10 gal over a 30gal with only 1 150W heater underneath). The ones directly over the heater get warmer so i put my mexicans there, and the colder end closer to the air conditioner is where my westerns are. No tropical or easterns yet! lol
Anyway, with my ac it creates a quasi-day/night temp changes, and i have a photperiod set up from the light on my Russian Tortoises' cage. Hognoses don't necessarily need a photoperiod (again people will argue this with me) but they spend all their time digging anyway, they don't seem to get much light.
As for my hogs in the racks. I keep the back temp at 85 and the front is around 78-80. Works well. A bit warm, but they are neonates and need a little more control in their heat. During the winter my electril bill actually goes DOWN, because i positioned all my tanks to line up on a wall in front of my baseboard heaters. Kepps my room warm and them too. Only downside is i have to monitor the heat more.
Anyway, hope that helps. What you are doing is fine and will work great, there are just a few other suggestions, if you'd like.

[Louie1]

You will always get conflicting husbandry for hogs. My advise is take all the advise and implement it to yours. Hognose have a wide range and can adapt to many different environments.

I personally would be okay with your set I would keep it about 3-5 degrees warmer. If you are planning to get a female I would consider getting a 20 long as they can get much bigger.

Good luck and be careful! They are very addictive!!!

[DSGB]

You will always get conflicting husbandry for hogs. My advise is take all the advise and implement it to yours. Hognose have a wide range and can adapt to many different environments.

I personally would be okay with your set I would keep it about 3-5 degrees warmer. If you are planning to get a female I would consider getting a 20 long as they can get much bigger.

Good luck and be careful! They are very addictive!!!

I agree with you. I first tried newspaper and two small hides, He always went straight under the paper so i switched to aspen. I first gave him about and inch or so and he pushed it all to one side and started tunneling in the little mound. I then put in 3-4 inches and he loves it.

So yeah just try different things, hoggies have a one of a kind personality.

[FloridaHogs]

Well, I will assume you are getting a western hognose, but there are many different species out there. So you should probably be a bit more specific when asking about their care. IMO, the three North American species as well as the South American and Madagascan species require a bit different care and size enclosures.

Here is a care sheet I have made up on Western Hognose. If you are looking at the Tricolors, I have a sheet on them as well.

As a side note, make sure you know the laws regarding western hognose in your area. There are restrictions on them in several states.

WESTERN HOGNOSE
By Jenea Wood of Guardian Reptiles

Species: Heterodon nasicus

Subspecies: Dusty (H. n. gloydi)
Plains (H. n. nasicus)
Mexican (H. n. kennerlyi)

Distribution: Southeast Alberta Canada to Northwest Manitoba Canada, south to Arizona, Texas, and Northern Mexico.

Size: 16 to 35”

Caging: A 10 gallon tank can be used to house an average sized individual, however, a 20 gallon long is preferred. This provides a better heat gradient for the animal. A secure, latch able lid is a must, as these animals are very strong, and can push open most lids. There are many types of bedding to choose from; Aspen Bedding, Cypress Mulch, Astroturf, Newspaper, or Paper towels. Hognose are natural burrowers, so aspen bedding or cypress mulch are the preferred substrate to use for bedding. The substrate should be 1 - 2” deep, to provide plenty of depth for burrowing. A hide box and clean water should always be provided.

Heating: The daytime temperature should be between 78° and 85° F, with no more than a 10 degree drop at night. A basking area should be provided with a temp in the low to mid 90’s. There have been many discussions on whether under tank heat or heat from above is better for these animals. I have kept hognose both ways, and have found no difference in the health of the animals. A basking area is very important in helping with digestion. If kept to cold they will not be able to digest their food properly, causing it to spoil. A word of caution, DO NOT USE HEAT ROCKS!! Many an animal has been severely burned by these devices, as they have no temperature regulation.

Feeding: The Western Hognose is the first of the hognose species known to do well on an all rodent diet. Neonates can typically be fed 1 or 2 pinkie mice a week for the first year. As the snake grows and increases in size, the size of the food item may be increased. Once an adult, 1-2 adult mice can be offered every 7 - 10 days. Extreme care should be taken not to overfed these snakes. Hognose are prone to obesity issues. Many hognose owners will wait until they see the animal cruising the enclosure looking for food, then wait another 2 days before feeding again. This method ensures some exercise for the animal, as well as preventing overfeeding. Hognose should always be fed prekilled prey. Live mice should never be offered to a hognose. These snakes are not constrictors, and can suffer serous injury by an adult mouse. Hognose feed on mostly frogs and toads in the wild, thus they are not equipped to defend against a prey that bites back. It is important to never feed an animal on their substrate, but rather in a separate feeding container or something free of substrate. Ingested substrate can cause impaction in reptiles, which is fatal if not treat immediately. It most often requires surgery.

[Hardwikk]

This is my caresheet. It's based on exactly what I do for my Hognose snake and he's very healthy and active, so chances are it will work for you too:

Housing-Like what most people say, a 10 gallon works for a male (expected length is 16-18 inches) and 20 gallon works for a female (expected length is 24-30 inches). Provide the usual furnishings you put in a terrarium, but don't forget to use a burrowing substrate (I use crushed english walnut shells [CEWS] from Zilla).

Heating-My Hogger's tank has a hot side of 90 degrees F and a cold side of whatever temperature the house is. CEWS absorbs heat very well so an UTH is a great way to provide the heating.

Feeding-Do the usual thing with other snakes. At the moment my Hognose snake is almost a yearling, so I feed him 1 pinky every week and 2 pinkies every third week (that would be this week actually). Be sure to separate the Hogger from the substrate during feeding so it doesn't ingest any of the CEWS (I do this by feeding the snake in an overturned shoebox lid that's placed in the tank at feeding time. When he's done, he slithers out of it and goes to a hide).

If you have any questions about something I didn't cover here, just ask.