# Hognose hunger strikes



## bigsisterto3 (Jun 3, 2020)

Hognose snakes are picky and over the winter love to go on hunger strikes. However my hognose hasn’t eaten for almost 5 months now. He was 29g right after eating the last time, and is not 27g. Technically he has lost weight, but since I weighed him right after he ate the last time I have a feeling that weight could have just been the mouse. He is still very active. I have him in a 20 gal long with a 86° hotspot. Here is a picture of him and the set up. What are your opinions on this? I have been offering him food every two weeks. I have also scented the food with tuna, but all he does is hiss at me. Should I do something more or just leave him be?


































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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

Reduce the temperature to around 10C over a couple of weeks. Once at that temperature, pop him in a small box and keep dark for a few weeks with deep dry substrate and a small bowl of water. 
This is usually for 3 months. Then reverse process, and once up to temperature offer po k or fuzzy. He will feed. Then get him back on to his normal sized food.
Forget scenting, if he was feeding on unscented mice initially, he will do so now.
Also, if you are only using a heat mat, then you need to rethink tour husbandry. Hogs like a warm environment. Mats dont heat the air.
Switch to an overhead basking lamp on a thermostat, set to provide a hot spot of around 34C, warm end of 32C.


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