# Trouble feeding a hognose



## bendvanecek (2 mo ago)

Hello everyone. 
I recently purchased a young Western hognose, yearling, from a reputable breeder online. We were successful getting him to eat a Frozen thawed Pinky about 9 days after he arrived. We accomplished this with about several minutes of tease feeding, However it has been almost three weeks since his last feeding and we cannot get him to take another food item. We have tried tease feeding again and have tried leaving him in a deli cup overnight with the food item, yet to no avail. Also we are in Texas and we had our first big cold front hit about a week ago. Does anyone have any tips or tricks they can offer?

tks


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## MrsTim (Aug 20, 2012)

As long as he is healthy, and has been a good feeder before, it's most likely he just wants to hibernate. It can be really difficult to convince a hognose that's decided that he is hibernating to eat, trust me. The hognose l had eventually forced me to hibernate him. 

It is much easier ( and probably healthier as well ) to allow him to hibernate, as long as he's healthy and good weight, otherwise he'll simply keep refusing food and losing weight. 

You could try playing with lighting etc., but you will be fighting against nature, and he might still refuse to eat till spring.


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

At a year old, he should be on more than pinkies. 
However, regardless of the food, the refusal is going to be down to one of 2 reasons, husbandry or brumation.
How exactly are you housing him? As in, enclosure, heat source, temperatures, and how you are measuring and controlling the temperature? 
Let's bottom out husbandry first.


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## Malum Argenteum (5 mo ago)

What was the snake's feeding schedule and prey type at the breeder? Was it an eager breeder, or a reluctant one? Sometimes snakes sold as yearlings are held that long because they are reluctant feeders and need that long to just get feeding at all reliably. The fact that the snake is still on pinkies supports this hypothesis.

What sort of enclosure was it in at the breeder? Perhaps it is having trouble adjusting to a new enclosure types. Snakes that go from tubs (great temps, secure feeling, diffuse light) to glass enclosures (cold, predators everywhere, sun is right in my eyes all day) sometimes have issues adjusting.

I agree that ironing out husbandry, enclosure and parameters should come first. After that's all been worked through, consider that the snake simply doesn't recognize the prey you're offering because of its unfamiliar taste/smell. 

I've sold strongly feeding snakes only to have them refuse the customer's offered prey (I breed my own mice, and so they have a smell/taste distinct to the bedding and food I use, and probably from other odors in my reptile room. They're also very fresh, though some snakes might actually be used to the taste of old rodents). When rodents from a different source (different breeder/vendor/store) were offered, the snake started eating fine. Sometimes snakes are like human kids and won't eat something for some reason that doesn't make any sense (sometimes human adults are like this too ). Once you've confirmed that the care you're offering is ideal, try a rodent from a different vendor.

If the snake is setting itself up to brumate, there should be some behavioral cues -- it would be off the heat, with reduced activity levels, and looking groggy. If it is still active I'd doubt the brumation suspicion.


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## danbaylis35 (May 5, 2009)

My hog went 3months without food, I down sized him to a much smaller home and now he comes out looking for food 2 days after eating! What are you housing him in?


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