Western Hognose care
Description:
Western Hognose Snakes, also commonly referred to as Hoggies (Heterodon nasicus) are a relatively small snake from the Colubridae family.
On average Males will reach lengths of around 14-24”, whilst females will commonly get around 24-36” & are somewhat thicker bodied than the males as adult.
The wild form usually has a light brown/tan base colour with darker brown spots down its body.
There are however, many morphs now available in the pet trade. These affect the colour &/or pattern of the snake. To name just a few: Albino, Axanthic, Snow, Anaconda, Toffee Belly, Hypo, Caramel, Sable, Toxic, Super Conda… the list goes on & increases.
They have a hard turned up nose which aids them in burrowing & digging.
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Lifespan:
In captivity, Western Hognoses live around 10-15 years, although it is not unheard of for them to reach around 18, even 20.
Origin & Habitat:
Hoggies are native to North America. They are often found throughout, Texas, New Mexico, Northern Mexico & Arizona.
They occupy grasslands, prairies, river floodplains, rocky, arid terrain.
They are a terrestrial diurnal species and will often burrow.
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Temperament:
Western Hognoses do have a reputation for being the Drama Queens of reptiles! They are known for their many harmless & often amusing defensive acts.
It is very common for them to hiss loud, flatten their neck ribs to create a hood like a cobra, & flatten out their body to appear larger. They will also commonly strike with a closed mouth moving in sideway or forward motion, aiming to hit their target with its solid upturned nose.
In young hoggies, probably the most amusing defensive measure is playing dead! They will roll over, stick their tongue out & often release a musk from their anal glands which as you can imagine, isn’t the most pleasant smell. If you turn the snake the right way up, they immediately roll back onto their backs resuming the ‘play dead’ posture.
Bites from a Western Hognose are very rare & are usually due to an overeager feeding response. In the unlikely event that you do find yourself attached to a hognoses mouth & it is not letting go, do not try to pull the snake off, this can cause injury to it… instead a small amount of mint mouthwash poured in the area the snake is biting will result in it releasing. A small amount is harmless to the snake & we have not had it fail once.
For a very long time it has been argued as to whether the Western Hognose should be classified as a venomous snake. It is classed as ‘rear-fanged’, but it’s teeth are not hollow like that of a true venomous snake. They have a modified saliva (missing the enzyme cocktail found in true venomous snakes) that some believe its role is to have an adverse effect on small prey items, where others believe it is to aid in helping break food down.
Although this saliva is considered harmless to humans, with many people reporting pain & swelling much like a wasp sting (having being bitten a few times between us, none of us have even experienced this). However some people have documented more severe swelling & pain… it is thought that in these instances the snake has been allowed to hold on biting for more than a couple minutes &/or the person has an allergic reaction to the saliva.
With regular handling, these snakes can make great pets that are hardy & thrive very well in captivity.
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Housing:
Western Hognoses can be kept in a suitable sized enclosure such as a Plastic RUB, Faunarium or Wooden Terrarium/Vivarium.
Hatchlings do well in enclosures such as the Braplast Tubs, 4-9ltr RUB Boxes, Medium Standard Faunariums, or similar. It is important not to put hatchling hoggies in too large of an enclosure as this can cause the snake stress which may lead to it not feeding. With adults, depending on their size, a wooden vivarium around 3-4ft in length, by around 15-24” deep & 15-24” high, works well.
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Heating:
Western Hognoses require a warm & a cool side to their enclosure for them to thermoregulate their body temperature.
Heat can be provided by means of a Heat Mat, Heat Cable, Ceramic Heat Emitter or Deep Heat Projector depending on the setup. Heat mats should cover between a third & half of the floor area. NB: The heat source should be controlled by a suitable thermostat & the temperature checked regularly with thermometers. If you choose to use a Heat Lamp or Ceramic Heat Emitter, a suitable Heat Guard Cage will be required to fit over the heat source to stop the snake from coming into direct contact with it & potentially burning itself. Check that the snake cannot fit through the gaps in any heater guards, so that they do not risk burning on a lamp.
Temperature:
Hognoses should have an ambient temperature around 75-80F (23-26C) with a basking area around 88-90F (31-32C).
Lighting & UVB:
Western Hognoses should have a distinct day/night cycle.
If you are providing vivarium safe lighting in your snakes enclosure, it is recommended to do a 12 hour on, 12 hour off cycle.
Although UVB is not essential for your Western Hognose, more recent studies have shown that it is beneficial for the snakes health. Western Hognoses inhabit Ferguson Zones 2, meaning they are Partial or Occasional Baskers, a UV index ranging from 0.7-3.
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Water:
Water should be given in a reasonable sized bowl. It is advisable to use a fairly heavy bowl to prevent your snake tipping it over. The bowl should be placed in the cool side of the enclosure. If it is placed on the warm side this could create too much humidity which could lead to a respiratory infection & also the bowl could dry out quickly.
Water can also help your snake during shedding. Whilst in shed it is not uncommon to find your snake bathing in the water.
If the snake defecates in its water bowl, the bowl must be cleaned and disinfected immediately.
Hides:
Western Hognoses require a place to hide otherwise they can get stressed. If possible, provide two hides, one on the warm side & one on the cooler side so they have a choice.
Hides can be made from anything such as a toilet roll tube, cardboard box, décor such as wood & plants to hide behind, or the specifically made resin/wood/ceramic reptile hides.
In burrowing species, the snake may simply choose to hide amongst the substrate.
Shedding:
All snakes go through the shedding process, sometimes also referred to as sloughing of the skin. The shedding process will happen periodically throughout the year, with hatchlings & younger snakes going through it more often as they are growing.
Throughout the shedding process your snake will exhibit different changes to its normal appearance. This will include a dulling of your snakes’ skin colour, general inactivity often staying in a hide and their eyes will turn a bluish grey colour. At this time your Hognose may refuse a feed. Whilst your snake is in shed it is advisable to not handle it as their vision is obscured by the bluish grey membrane covering its eyes and they may feel more insecure than usual, therefore more likely to be defensive.
Most Hognoses will not need any additional help in shedding their skin as their ambient humidity requirements are usually met by most average UK homes. However, if you find your snake has trouble with shedding, a moist hide can be provided whilst your snake is in its shed cycle.
When a snake starts to shed its skin, it usually starts by your snake rubbing its head on hides or decor to loosen the skin. Once it has worked its head free it will continue to crawl its way out of the old skin by rolling it inside out as it moves until it is completely free of the skin. The skin usually comes off in one piece but it is not unusual to have breaks in it or find it in a few pieces. Once your snake has shed its skin, the skin should be removed from the enclosure along with any faeces that usually accompanies the shedding process. You should check your snake to ensure that the shed skin has successfully been removed, taking particular notice that the eye caps and tail end have not been retained. If necessary bathe your snake and remove any patches of skin that have not been shed, to avoid infection or death of the tissue below it. If you are worried about removing any retained skin, please contact us so that we can help get this off for you.
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Feeding:
In the wild Western Hognoses mainly feed on small rodents, amphibians, lizards & eggs. However, in captivity they will primarily feed on rodents. We recommend mice over rats as it has been known for hognoses that are fed rats to get obesity & health issues, resulting in premature death.
Hatchling Hognoses will generally start off on Mice Pinkies every 5-7 days gradually moving up in sizes as the snake grows. We personally feed our adults once every 7 days.
The size of the rodent should be roughly the same or a little smaller in thickness to that of the thickest part of the snakes body. If you are unsure, please contact us for advice.
Frozen rodents should be defrosted either at room temperature or in luke warm water. Never defrost rodents in boiling water or the microwave as it is likely to start cooking the rodent which could put your snake off of feeding on it or you will end up with a horrible mess when the snake attempts to eat it.
We recommend not handling your snake the same day that you are going to feed it as this can sometimes put them off of feeding. Likewise, you should not handle your snake for a minimum of 48 hours after feeding in order to reduce the chance of it regurgitating its meal.
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Sexing:
Western Hognoses can generally be sexed visually looking at the tail length. Males usually have a longer thin tail, whereas females have a shorter, stubbier tail.
Occasionally you will get one that may not be 100% obvious of gender… in this case methods such as popping or probing can be done. Popping is usually done in hatchlings whereas Probing is done in grown on/adult snakes. Either technique should only be done by an experienced snake keeper or specialist reptile shop that know what they are doing as injury can be caused to your snake if not done correctly.