# New baby hognose feeding question.



## Vykingwulf (6 mo ago)

We have a new baby western hognose. She hatched 6/1/22 and arrived last Tuesday 7/19/22 after overnight Fedex from NY to Washington state. We had planned on not attempting to feed her until today after giving her 4 days to just chill totally left to herself in her enclosure. Unfortunately Thurday morning she found away out of her tub so I’m sure getting out and being found stressed her out and then this morning don’t ask me how, but she overturned her water dish so I had to change her bedding. Even though the water bowl is small her aspen was soaked. My question is should I start her calming down and wait another 72 hours before feeding her or go ahead and leave a pinky for her tomorrow? Incase it matters both times I had to bug her, ie. catching her Thursday and having to take her out to clean her enclosure today she never played dead but she did do the best little cobra impression she possibly could and a couple of bluff strikes.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

This is a general reply and not specific to this species. The enclosure should be secure as most species are excellent escape artists. It should be set up with a substrate base, which for snake that like to burrow should be deep enough for it to do so. There should be plenty of hiding places, from hides made from cork bark, or caves made form rocks (silicone together) and fake foliage. The enclosure needs to have heating and lighting to suit the snakes needs, with the heating thermostatically controlled. Clean water should be provided and changed at regular intervals, if not daily. Once the enclosure is running correctly then introduce the snake. Leave the snake alone for at least the first four weeks, only disturbing it to change the water and offer food. Snakes being as individual as we are will all have different behaviours and responses. Some will be bold and show confidence whilst others will be timid and get react to any disruption. Some will take food hours after being transported and placed in a new environment, others take a while to settle and feel comfortable feeding. 

Handling of snakes is a widely discussed topic, and is very much a personal thing. If you do want to regularly handle a snake then do so at least two days after a feed. Don't handle a snake for two long, or two frequently. To much disruption can in some species cause them to stop eating. Take care when handling Hognose snakes (and a few other species that are mid / rear fanged) that may have a strong food drive, and may mistake your finger as food. Feeding bites form these species can result in a trip to the hospital and even an overnight stay. Again a generalised statement, but it has happened but is very much down to the individual, both handler and snake.


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## Vykingwulf (6 mo ago)

Malc said:


> This is a general reply and not specific to this species. The enclosure should be secure as most species are excellent escape artists. It should be set up with a substrate base, which for snake that like to burrow should be deep enough for it to do so. There should be plenty of hiding places, from hides made from cork bark, or caves made form rocks (silicone together) and fake foliage. The enclosure needs to have heating and lighting to suit the snakes needs, with the heating thermostatically controlled. Clean water should be provided and changed at regular intervals, if not daily. Once the enclosure is running correctly then introduce the snake. Leave the snake alone for at least the first four weeks, only disturbing it to change the water and offer food. Snakes being as individual as we are will all have different behaviours and responses. Some will be bold and show confidence whilst others will be timid and get react to any disruption. Some will take food hours after being transported and placed in a new environment, others take a while to settle and feel comfortable feeding.
> 
> Handling of snakes is a widely discussed topic, and is very much a personal thing. If you do want to regularly handle a snake then do so at least two days after a feed. Don't handle a snake for two long, or two frequently. To much disruption can in some species cause them to stop eating. Take care when handling Hognose snakes (and a few other species that are mid / rear fanged) that may have a strong food drive, and may mistake your finger as food. Feeding bites form these species can result in a trip to the hospital and even an overnight stay. Again a generalised statement, but it has happened but is very much down to the individual, both handler and snake.





Malc said:


> This is a general reply and not specific to this species. The enclosure should be secure as most species are excellent escape artists. It should be set up with a substrate base, which for snake that like to burrow should be deep enough for it to do so. There should be plenty of hiding places, from hides made from cork bark, or caves made form rocks (silicone together) and fake foliage. The enclosure needs to have heating and lighting to suit the snakes needs, with the heating thermostatically controlled. Clean water should be provided and changed at regular intervals, if not daily. Once the enclosure is running correctly then introduce the snake. Leave the snake alone for at least the first four weeks, only disturbing it to change the water and offer food. Snakes being as individual as we are will all have different behaviours and responses. Some will be bold and show confidence whilst others will be timid and get react to any disruption. Some will take food hours after being transported and placed in a new environment, others take a while to settle and feel comfortable feeding.
> 
> Handling of snakes is a widely discussed topic, and is very much a personal thing. If you do want to regularly handle a snake then do so at least two days after a feed. Don't handle a snake for two long, or two frequently. To much disruption can in some species cause them to stop eating. Take care when handling Hognose snakes (and a few other species that are mid / rear fanged) that may have a strong food drive, and may mistake your finger as food. Feeding bites form these species can result in a trip to the hospital and even an overnight stay. Again a generalised statement, but it has happened but is very much down to the individual, both handler and snake.


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## Vykingwulf (6 mo ago)

It’s more of a dramatic hognose question as they are so high strung or so I have read and been informed by several keepers and breeders. I have been keeping snakes for 30 + years but none this high strung. She literally makes me feel like a new keeper all over again. Before anyone asks I have also had 2
ball pythons and had 3 boas (1 Bci and 2 Bcc). And yes balls can have “feeding issues” as well but knock on wood I have been beyond lucky and not really had that issue and my youngest ball is 13 years old and the other is 22 years. The boas I no longer have as I gifted them to my 26 year old son.


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

First off, how often had the snake fed before you bought it? It appears to be just 6 weeks old? 
Hogs are odd things. They either feed on unscented defrost from the off, or they are extremely hard to get feeding.
When I used to breed them I would never sell any until they had had at least 6 consecutive unscented feeds. That seemed to be a fairly safe benchmark to guarantee feeding for the new owner.
The other consideration is your husbandry. How EXACTLY are you keeping the snake? Viv size, temperatures, heat source, temperature measurement, temperature control, the full works.
With a hog of this age its one of two things. 
1) it's not an established defrost unscented feeder
2) husbandry is off.
They are nowhere near as forgiving as most NA colubrids when it comes to husbandry.


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## Vykingwulf (6 mo ago)

First off I was worried today for nothing. I left a f/t pinky on her fake shale rock in her little tub 2 hrs ago and it either pulled a Lazarus or it’s in the belly of the beast. Supposedly she never missed a F/T feeding since the breeder started feeding her. Right now she is in a 12.6” x 8.6” x 5.9” on aspen shaving bedding. Hot side averages 91.5 to 92 (depending where I temp gun) cool is 84F. All my other snakes are in large vision enclosures and I have to say it is alot easier to manage their temps. I actually have a 30” x 12” x 12” I was going to put her in when she first came but the breeder advised me to not use it until she is near grown. Almost feels like I am going back in time to when I got my first ball python when I was 21 (I’m in my 50s now) back when a 15 -20 gallon aquarium was the suggested size enclosure for an adult ball.


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## Vykingwulf (6 mo ago)

Vykingwulf said:


> First off I was worried today for nothing. I left a f/t pinky on her fake shale rock in her little tub 2 hrs ago and it either pulled a Lazarus or it’s in the belly of the beast. Supposedly she never missed a F/T feeding since the breeder started feeding her. Right now she is in a 12.6” x 8.6” x 5.9” on aspen shaving bedding. Hot side averages 91.5 to 92 (depending where I temp gun) cool is 84F. All my other snakes are in large vision enclosures and I have to say it is alot easier to manage their temps. I actually have a 30” x 12” x 12” I was going to put her in when she first came but the breeder advised me to not use it until she is near grown. Almost feels like I am going back in time to when I got my first ball python when I was 21 (I’m in my 50s now) back when a 15 -20 gallon aquarium was the suggested size enclosure for an adult ball.


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## Vykingwulf (6 mo ago)

Heat source is a heat tape/mat controlled by a freedom breeder thermostat. The little enclosure she is in is a breeder/feeder tub. The big enclosure she will eventually end up in is a front opening terrarium.


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## Vykingwulf (6 mo ago)

Here is a pic I took of her the day she arrived.


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