Awesome! They have personality. They are diurnal. They can be handled pretty easily. They like normal house temperatures (between 70 and 80). They don't get big. They are super duper cute.Originally Posted by zackw419
About that personality - people who are not familiar with a hognose might get intimidated at first because they have these crazy defense mechanisms - hissing, standing up with hood spread like a cobra, tail shaking like a rattler, and even fake striking (striking with mouth closed). Really scary stuff until you get used to them and realize they're a bunch of pansies! LOL! Our hognose would hiss when startled, then my son would go ahead and pick him up anyway and he would immediately settle down. Really cool snakes!
My 7-year-old son likes to brag that he owns a venomous snake. Hognoses have venom but they are rear-fanged so it requires a lot of chewing before the rear fangs can be engaged. And since hognoses are VERY reluctant biters (bites only to eat), you almost have to intentionally get bit and chewed on for a while before you can get injected with venom. The venom is not lethal. It can cause a lot of swelling on the affected area similar to a bee sting.
20L reptile tank or similar size enclosure. Temperature gradient of 70 cool-side and 80 warm-side provided using UTH or heat lamp with thermostat or rheostat. 2 hides - one on the cool and another in the warm side. Water bowl big enough to soak in. Deep substrate (aspen is recommended - don't use cedar or pine). I don't put them in newspaper or paper towels because they like to burrow.
Westerns are much easier to care for than Easterns because of the dietary requirements. Westerns will take rodents, Easterns thrive on frogs. Other than the diet, they are pretty much the same in temperament and size.
Hope this helps.
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