Hognose bite

[valasidria]

So I posted another thread about how just the other day my hognose bit me. I suspected it may have been because I smelled like a bearded dragon. However today I rubbed him with a pipette before I went to give him some water, just gently rubbing his side to see how he would react, and he tried to bite the pipette. I moved it and he continued lunging forward and bit himself. Dummy. Anyway, do I just have a mean hognose?

[piedlover79]

I bet you have a young growing and endlessly ravenous hognose on your hands. My little albino girl used to attempt to eat *everything*, she bit herself on several occasions as well. She was hungry seconds after eating! When my male gets hungry he just opens his mouth and whips himself around whenever he detects even the slightest movement. Hognose can be funny like that.

[valasidria]

So should I try feeding him more often?

[piedlover79]

How big is he? What are you feeding him and how often?

[John1982]

Hognoses don't bite out of aggression - it's simply not in their repertoire. Try to stick to a regular feeding and handling schedule(something simple such as, feed mon/thu, handle wed/sat/sun) for the time being. Keeping a regular routine and not feeding on handling days or handling on feeding days will help him learn that you aren't food faster. Once he graduates you can generally switch up handling/feeding days without worrying about the digits. A hognose will try to eat a sledgehammer if it's hungry and gets the faintest whiff of victuals.

[piedlover79]

I can honestly picture my 60 gram hognose trying to eat a sledghammer. So very true. Heehee.

[valasidria]

I feed him a pinky every 4 or 5 days, he is about a foot long and less than an inch in diameter (maybe like half an inch or slightly bigger). He is pretty young. Not a hatchling persay, but still definitely young and has quite a lot of growing to do.

[piedlover79]

If he's a foot long (size in grams is more useful) he's probably ready for fuzzies or two pinkies per feed. I feed my male a fuzzy twice a week.