I think I've settled on a pair of hoggies

[mainbutter]

After much debate about my future reptile plans, I'm thinking I might keep it simple(compared to other ideas I had) for now and pick up a pair of western hognose snakes this coming summer.

I want to get a head start on planning finances, housing etc. and was hoping to get some advice from people with hoggies. I think I want to eventually breed to a small degree, but I'm more than willing to get a pair of neonates and wait a few years, so for a while they'd be strictly pets to take care of and handle on occasion.

I don't have many specific questions, but am hoping more for general advice/ideas/suggestions you'd give to someone looking at western hoggies(even pointing me to your favorite care sheet, though if it turns up in google searches I've probably read it already).

A few specific questions though:
1) What morphs are out there? Anything affordable? I'd love an anaconda or albino but the one website I checked out had them in the thousand+ price range, not what I'm looking for.

2) How do you sex hoggies? Probing? Another method? Can it be done right out of the egg? They're so tiny as neonates I can't imagine probing being easy.

3) Personality. From what I've read bites from these guys are extremely rare(many strikes are even "mock" strikes), but are neonates nippy like many other snake species? Are CB western hoggies "showy" by nature? I'd almost kind of like one that hisses and puffs up a bit lol.. The few wild encounters I've had have been neat.

More questions to come if I think of something else
thanks!

[FastDad]

I will try to answer your questions.

1)
you will find a morphlist on my/our HP (link in my signature in "Hakennasen" (look below on this page) Sorry but the text on the english part is´nt ready

the morph with theloest price is the "normal" Albino. they go for about 200-300$

2)
you can sex HOGGIES by looking on there tail lenght and shape. This works in about 95%

3)
Sorry but I do not understand (translation ) what you´r asking

Stefan

[anatess]

I will try to answer your questions.
3)
Sorry but I do not understand (translation ) what you´r asking

Stefan

I think the OP wants to know if the HOGGIES are usually hissy as neonates or if they are hissy on a case-by-case basis. He would like a HOGGIE with personality - active, hissy, puffing, etc.

I think the answer to this is YES. In my VERY limited experience, hoggies are hissy and puffy when they are introduced to a new environment and then gets used to the place and would just be chill from then on out...

[RedDevil]

A few specific questions though:
1) What morphs are out there? Anything affordable? I'd love an anaconda or albino but the one website I checked out had them in the thousand+ price range, not what I'm looking for.

You were probably looking at extreme red albinos. Normal one are $300 tops (with the exception of breeders, of course).

2) How do you sex hoggies? Probing? Another method? Can it be done right out of the egg? They're so tiny as neonates I can't imagine probing being easy.

I have no experience with sexing hatchlings, but I have read that it is pretty easy to determine by simply comparing their tails. Don't know exactly how accurate that would be, but it seems pretty accurate on the adults I have.

3) Personality. From what I've read bites from these guys are extremely rare(many strikes are even "mock" strikes), but are neonates nippy like many other snake species? Are CB western hoggies "showy" by nature? I'd almost kind of like one that hisses and puffs up a bit lol.. The few wild encounters I've had have been neat.

You will get nothing but mock strikes unless it is a feeding response. I've never heard of any one actually taking a bite for no reason. From what I've seen, the neonates are more into playing dead than hissing. My adult Hogs have no problem putting on a show and hooding up, though. My red albino is the only one that doesn't care about being bothered.

[blackcrystal22]

As far as I know, there are only a couple of hoggie morphs out there, all extremely expensive at this time.
You could go for a couple of 100$ het albinos.

Attitude depends on the hognose. I've seen nasty and nice.

You would never want to probe a neonate that small. Tail length is a good indicator, and most people won't suggest popping, but some do.

Hope I could help. :]

[Adam_S]

They’re the best! As for my experience with biting, I’ve found that they don’t bite in defense, as hatchlings or ever. All strikes are close mouthed feign strikes. That’s not so say that you can’t get one to grab on to you if it’s hungry and you’ve been handling prey items. But you CAN’T get one to actually bite in defense, in my experience. Check out this video to see what I mean: YouTube - hognose snake feign

[kitsunex]

haha that video is pretty awesome. He looks all big and scary till you zoom out and realize he's a tiny little thing. i'm currently in the process trying to procure a male to get me started in the herp hobby.

[CoolioTiffany]

1) What morphs are out there? Anything affordable? I'd love an anaconda or albino but the one website I checked out had them in the thousand+ price range, not what I'm looking for.

2) How do you sex hoggies? Probing? Another method? Can it be done right out of the egg? They're so tiny as neonates I can't imagine probing being easy.

3) Personality. From what I've read bites from these guys are extremely rare(many strikes are even "mock" strikes), but are neonates nippy like many other snake species? Are CB western hoggies "showy" by nature? I'd almost kind of like one that hisses and puffs up a bit lol.. The few wild encounters I've had have been neat.

I know this seems totally late, and I'm not even sure if you have them or not or don't even want Hogs anymore and such, but I have nothing better to do right now and I'm just going to answer this anyway :]..

1- Hogs come in quite a few morphs like Anaconda, Snow, Albino, Caramel ghost (think it's something like that..), Axanthic, Jungle Phase Axanthic, Ghost, Caramel, and that's all I know of at the moment. Though, if you want to get something pretty cheap and don't want to feed frogs/toads or lizards to every once in a while, I would suggest just getting a Western Hognose. They stay smaller than most Hognose snakes too. Males only max to 20 inches, and females can get a good 30 inches (record).

2- I learned that when they are small the best way to tell is by tail length. Females will have a short and stubby tail, while males have a longer tail that tapers. I happened to get that long tapered tail male on Saturday, so my 10 gallon will last him his entire life.

3- Their personality is so great. They are very nice snakes, but usually a bit shy when young. The young ones will most likely play dead as the older Hogs will hiss, "mock strike", and hood out like a cobra. Though, they are very friendly snakes and great for a first time snake owner. Being bitten does happen rarely; they are more likely to bump you with their nose than bite you. And if you do get bitten, take it off right away and do not let it chew on you. The chewing is to keep on pumping saliva into you, and if your allergic to the saliva it would not be a good thing at all. So if you get bit, take it off right away to prevent it from sinking the rear fangs into you. And like I said, the babies will put out more for the playing dead display rather than adults, but if your snake is used to human contact and being handled it will rarely play dead or do any defense mechanisms.

[Hock3ymonk3y]

3- Their personality is so great. They are very nice snakes, but usually a bit shy when young. The young ones will most likely play dead as the older Hogs will hiss, "mock strike", and hood out like a cobra. Though, they are very friendly snakes and great for a first time snake owner. Being bitten does happen rarely; they are more likely to bump you with their nose than bite you. And if you do get bitten, take it off right away and do not let it chew on you. The chewing is to keep on pumping saliva into you, and if your allergic to the saliva it would not be a good thing at all. So if you get bit, take it off right away to prevent it from sinking the rear fangs into you. And like I said, the babies will put out more for the playing dead display rather than adults, but if your snake is used to human contact and being handled it will rarely play dead or do any defense mechanisms.

Actually it is not their saliva you need to worry about. It is the venom in their fangs. (Which they actually have). Look at the 3rd post: http://www.venomdoc.com/forums/viewt...ight=heterodon

[mainbutter]

lol old post! I've decided to at least wait until october.. we'll see what happens if I'm able to hit up NARBC