Distinguishing Features. This squat, heavy-bodied snake reaches a maximum length of 3 feet (90 cm), but 2 feet (60 cm) is more typical. Most noticeable on the western hognose snake is the strongly upturned, pointed snout.[1]
Are Hognose Snakes Good Pets?
Do hognose snakes make good pets? Yes! Hognose snakes are some of the best pets for reptile enthusiasts. In fact, they’re an excellent compromise snake; they’re more exotic than a gecko but less fussy than a ball python.[2]
Are Hognose Snakes Aggressive?
They do, however, produce a mild venom that is used for subduing prey. This mild venom is delivered by two enlarged teeth at the back of the upper jaw. However, bites from eastern hog-nosed snakes are extremely rare. These snakes are not aggressive and usually do not bite even in self defense.[3]
What Size Tank Does A Hognose Need?
Terrarium Size
The minimum enclosure size recommended for housing a single western hognose is 18”L x 18”W x 24”H. However, when it comes to choosing a terrarium for pet reptiles, keep in mind that larger is always better! Multiple hognose snakes should not be housed together in the same enclosure.[4]
How Big Should A 1 Year Old Hognose Be?
Male western hognoses are generally mature and ready to breed at 1 year of age, and should weigh around 70 grams or so (although smaller males have proven to be successful breeders). Females are typically considered mature at 2 years of age, and their weight should be at least 250 grams.[5]
How Much Is A Hognose Snake
Choosing Your Hognose Snake
Expect to pay around $100 to $500, depending on the species and age of the snake. It’s up to you to decide whether you want an adult snake or a hatchling. If you have limited experience with snakes, you might want to choose a hatchling.Jan 27, 2022[6]
How Much Is A Normal Hognose Snake?
Common Western Hognoses cost $175 – $250 from a private breeder. Adults are typically closer to $250 and hatchlings are sometimes sold for as low as $175. Morphs such as the Lavender can cost $1,200. In addition to making sure your snake is captive bred you should handle it before purchasing.[7]
Is A Hognose Snake A Good Pet?
The main features that make this animal a great pet for young or new owners are the fact that they remain a manageable size, they will only need a 3ft enclosure to house them for life and they are one of the least aggressive snakes in the pet trade.[8]
Does A Hognose Snake Bite Hurt?
Hognose snakes mildly produce venom as they are rear fang snakes. They also do not blow their breath at animals or people. All snakes have fangs, and a bite from one will hurt severely and lead to death.[9]
What Is The Lifespan Of A Hognose Snake?
Habitat: Western hognose snakes can be found from southern Canada, through the United States, and into northern Mexico. Diet: Western hognose snakes live on a diet of toads, frogs, lizards, mice, birds, snakes and reptile eggs. Lifespan: 9 to 19 years in the wild. 15 to 20 years in human care.[10]
What Does A Hognose Snake Look Like
ImagesView all[11]
Is The Hognose Snake Poisonous?
Is the hognose snake poisonous? Hognose snakes produce a toxic saliva which can cause very mild symptoms in humans. This species is known for rarely biting humans. This makes them venomous, not poisonous.[12]
How Can You Tell A Hognose Snake?
These snakes are easily distinguished by their upturned snouts, but they are variable in color. The eastern hognose has a background color that can be yellow, gray, brown, green or black, often patterned with large, rectangular spots down the middle of the back that may resemble eyespots.[13]
What Happens If A Hognose Snake Bites You?
Western hognose snakes are thought to be phlegmatic and mild captives, and thus, they rarely bite humans when threatened. Therefore, they are generally not viewed as venomous. There are few reports of Western hognose snake bites, but the chief symptoms are edema, redness, blister formation, ecchymoses, and cellulitis.[14]
Are Western Hognose Snakes Aggressive?
Hognose snakes very rarely bite out of defense/aggression, preferring to bluff their way out of a threatening situation. But they’re not the brightest bulbs in the box, and sometimes they will bite their keepers if they mistake a human hand for prey.[15]
How Much Does A Hognose Snake Cost
Choosing Your Hognose Snake
Expect to pay around $100 to $500, depending on the species and age of the snake. It’s up to you to decide whether you want an adult snake or a hatchling. If you have limited experience with snakes, you might want to choose a hatchling.Jan 27, 2022[16]
How Much Is A Normal Hognose Snake?
Common Western Hognoses cost $175 – $250 from a private breeder. Adults are typically closer to $250 and hatchlings are sometimes sold for as low as $175. Morphs such as the Lavender can cost $1,200. In addition to making sure your snake is captive bred you should handle it before purchasing.[17]
Is A Hognose Snake A Good Pet?
The main features that make this animal a great pet for young or new owners are the fact that they remain a manageable size, they will only need a 3ft enclosure to house them for life and they are one of the least aggressive snakes in the pet trade.[18]
Are Hognose Snake Harmful?
Non-venomous.
Eastern Hog-nosed Snakes are not dangerous to people or pets. They do, however, produce a mild venom that is used for subduing prey. This mild venom is delivered by two enlarged teeth at the back of the upper jaw. However, bites from eastern hog-nosed snakes are extremely rare.[19]
How Long Does A Hognose Snake Live?
Lifespan: The lifespan range is 9-19 in wild and 15- 20 in captivity. Conservation Status: In Minnesota the Western Hognose Snake is a species of Special Concern. Predators include hawks, crows, fox, coyotes, raccoon, and larger snakes. Hognose Snakes are collected for the pet trade.[20]
What Does A Hognose Snake Eat
They are toad specialists but will also eat other types of prey such as other amphibians, reptiles, birds, small mammals, and invertebrates. Toads inflate themselves as a defensive measure and secrete toxins from their skin that disturb most predators but hognose snakes are undeterred.[21]
What Do You Feed A Hognose Snake?
The most common meal in the hognose snake diet is amphibians like frogs and toads; they’re highly susceptible to their venomous bites. However, they can also eat mice, bugs, and both lizard and bird eggs.Dec 4, 2019[22]
What Does A Hognose Snake Most Like To Eat?
The western hognose snake uses its upturned snout to burrow through the earth in search of toads, its principal food. Other items eaten include frogs, lizards, mice, birds, snakes and reptile eggs. Not dangerous to man, the western hognose snake uses a slightly toxic saliva to help subdue its prey.[23]
What Foods Can Hognose Eat?
Hognose snakes will feed on a variety of items, although their primary food items are toads and frogs. Most species will also feed on lizards, salamanders, worms, insects, small mammals and birds. Hognose snakes appear to be immune to the poisons secreted by toads.[24]
Can You Feed Hognose Snakes Crickets?
They’ll often approach their feeder with an open mouth, ready for their food. Hognoses will start out eating gut-loaded crickets (crickets fed nutritious foods) dusted with calcium powder. As they mature, they’ll graduate to pinkies, fuzzies, and possibly adult mice, depending on how large the species grows.[25]
Where Can I Buy A Hognose Snake
PlacesLocation unknown[26]
Where Can I Get A Hognose Snake?
Eastern hognose snakes are native to eastern North America from southern Canada, the Great Lakes region, and New England south to Florida. They prefer woodlands with sandy soil, fields, farmland, and coastal areas. At the Zoo, you can see hognose snakes inside the Giant Tree in the Maryland Wilderness.[27]
How Much Money Do Hognose Snakes Cost?
Hognose snakes usually cost between $200-$700, depending on the morph.[28]
Do Hognose Snakes Stink?
These behaviors have earned the hog-nosed other names, such as puff adder, blow snake, and hissing viper. If these tactics do not scare away a predator, the snake will writhe about, excrete a foul-smelling musk, and then turn over with its mouth open, tongue hanging out, and lie still, feigning death.[29]
Will A Hognose Snake Bite You?
Western hognose snakes are thought to be phlegmatic and mild captives, and thus, they rarely bite humans when threatened. Therefore, they are generally not viewed as venomous. There are few reports of Western hognose snake bites, but the chief symptoms are edema, redness, blister formation, ecchymoses, and cellulitis.[30]
Resources
[1]https://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_hognose_snake.php
[2]https://reptilinks.com/blogs/news/17-frequently-asked-questions-about-hognose-snake-care
[3]https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/florida-snake-id/snake/eastern-hog-nosed-snake/
[4]https://www.thebiodude.com/blogs/reptile-and-amphibian-caresheets-with-cited-veterinary-and-herpetology-sources/western-hognose-care-sheet-and-maintenance
[5]https://reptilesmagazine.com/care-and-breeding-the-western-hog-nosed-snake/
[6]https://www.thesprucepets.com/hognose-snakes-1238131
[7]https://www.everythingreptiles.com/western-hognose-snake/
[8]https://www.reptilecentre.com/blog/2015/03/what-makes-a-hognose-snake-the-perfect-pet-for-you/
[9]https://www.petassure.com/new-newsletters/snakebites-safety-tips-and-treatment/
[10]https://www.uticazoo.org/westernhognosesnake/
[11]https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DadGrvvrXC-Y
[12]https://explore.berkshiremuseum.org/digital-archive/fact-sheet/howdy-hognose-facts-about-the-solitary-crepuscular-western-hognose-snake
[13]https://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/hetpla.htm
[14]https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cia2.12041
[15]https://reptifiles.com/heterodon-hognose-snake-care/hognose-snake-handling-body-language/
[16]https://www.thesprucepets.com/hognose-snakes-1238131
[17]https://www.everythingreptiles.com/western-hognose-snake/
[18]https://www.reptilecentre.com/blog/2015/03/what-makes-a-hognose-snake-the-perfect-pet-for-you/
[19]https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/florida-snake-id/snake/eastern-hog-nosed-snake/
[20]https://carpenternaturecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Hognose-Natural-History.pdf
[21]https://www.marylandzoo.org/animal/eastern-hognose-snake/
[22]https://reptilinks.com/blogs/news/17-frequently-asked-questions-about-hognose-snake-care
[23]https://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_hognose_snake.php
[24]https://myavho.com/storage/app/media/Hognose_Snake_Care_Card.pdf
[25]https://www.thesprucepets.com/hognose-snakes-1238131
[26]https://snakesatsunset.com/hognose-snakes-for-sale/
[27]https://www.marylandzoo.org/animal/eastern-hognose-snake/
[28]https://www.morereptiles.com/how-much-do-snakes-cost/
[29]https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DEEP/wildlife/pdf_files/outreach/fact_sheets/hognosedsnakepdf.pdf
[30]https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cia2.12041