A ~ C ~ S~N~A~K~E~S
Snake Breeders Based in Leicestershire, England, UK
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A ~ C ~ S~N~A~K~E~S Snake Breeders Based in Leicestershire, England, UK | |
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Heterodon nasicus
Western Hognose Snakes are a mildly venomous,
small colubrid species with an upturned snout which is used for
digging. A species which is particularly active during
the day (diurnal) and very energetic which makes them
an extremely interesting and amusing captive to
observe. Some of the many common names are plains hognose, blowing adder,
blowing viper, common hognose.
Energetic & inquisitive but
easily
tamed. Hognoses are full of character, extremely active and great
fun!
Hognose snakes are mildly venomous and
possess enlarged rear fangs which may or may not be slightly grooved
and it is therefore, as far as we are aware, unclear as to whether
or not these fangs are capable of delivering their venom. It is more
likely that any envenoming is done by delivering the contents of its
Duvernoy's gland through a simple chewing action as is the case in
other species who do not possess enlarged fangs. The enlarged fangs
of the hognose were once believed to be used to deflate toads but as
the natural diet of westerns is documented as only around 50%
amphibian and other hognose species eat only small quantities of
amphibians, this seems unlikely. In general, they are all about bluff and
normally have no desire to bite. Being mostly ambush
hunters, bites are usually an accidental or inaccurate feeding
response therefore use of tongs for feeding is
recommended. All of this being said, they are not
considered particularly dangerous to humans with reactions to bites
ranging from no reaction or only a slight tingling sensation to
severe swelling and numbness. Vivarium or plastic tubs
We have used both vivariums and tubs for housing Western
Hognose with equal success.
Other
requirements: - Water bowl. Most of our Western
Hognose snakes like to bathe therefore we offer a large enough water
bowl to enable this, some will use it rarely whilst others frequently.
- A
minimum of 2 hides (1 in
the cool end and 1 in the warm end), one of which can be
moist. - Deep substrate for burrowing
Good ventilation is
essential.
24°C
(75°F) to 32°C (90°F).
All
of our hognoses do very well at these temperatures however many
keepers suggests a hotter warm end and we would therefore suggest
increasing the warm end to 34°C (93°F) should
you experience feeding
difficulties.
When
using a deep substrate, vivs are a great deal easier
to maintain the correct temperature with overhead heating
than
using a heat mat under the tub.
Viv
- Guarded Ceramic heater or heat mat
Tub -
Heat mat, we mount ours on the wall to avoid the problem of the
deep
substrate
blocking the heat. Whichever method is used, the temperature
should be controlled by a suitable thermostat and monitored using a
digital thermometer.
Western hognose snakes inhabit a
wide range of mainly semi-arid environments including grasslands,
rocky areas, prairies and sandy regions.
Hognoses enjoy digging and we therefore
recommend and use a deep (2 to 3") covering of aspen. If using a
deep substrate care should be taken to ensure that the correct
temperature is maintained particularly when heating with a heat mat
or cable as the substrate will act as an insulator. The temperature
underneath the substrate could quite easily be 5°C (9°F) higher than
on the top of the substrate.
Rodents Western Hognoses
can be very intimidating when approached,
as they may hiss, rear up, strike in your general direction with a
closed mouth or even flatten out like a cobra but it is all a bluff
and if you ignore it, they will more often than not cease this
activity. In the wild they also feign death by lying still upside
down or even bleeding from their mouth but this activity is not
normally observed in captivity. Hognoses are well known for going off their
food in winter and early spring and it is easy to assume that it is due to the drop in temperature,
however, if you are maintaining the temperature in
the warm and cool end then this cannot be the case. In our experience they
go off their food due to the drop in photoperiod, therefore if
you are not intending on brumating (cooling) your hognose, we recommend increasing the amount
of daylight hours to around 14-16 hours for most of the year. Some
specimens however, will stop feeding whatever you do and in
these cases it may be best to consider
brumating.
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