First time hoggie owner, care to advise?

[SteelPanther]

Hi erryone, I just got myself a nice little baby western hoggie last Wednesday and this is my first snake (that is exclusively mine). I have been taking care of my significant other's royal python, so this whole snake caring ordeal isn't very new to me. But SO got a Chinese water dragon from a huge retail pet store weeks ago, and lost him after few days; thus I am just generally more anxious than usual. (This hoggie was acquired from a local trustworthy snake breeder/reptile supplier)

He was very curious and exploring the viv the day he got here, then I fed him a pinkie Friday. since then he's all coiled up and not really moving at all. When he's not coiled up and doing nothing he spends majority of time burrowing, so we can't even see him unless he surfaces to bask.
Also I notices that he breathes visibly hard(his body puffs up then shrinks back), but since snakes has only one lung I guess that's the way it should be.
So I'm just wondering if there is anything I'm doing wrong or this is just a hog being a hog.

My setup for him is:
-10 gallon tank
-Coco substrate, because the girl at the store recommended us.(Somehow it keeps humidity way higher than BP's viv with aspen shavings)
-1 light
-Heatpad under the tank
-Water

No discharge/eyes are bright and shiny black/tongue response OK/no sign of RI.
(also, does anybody know how to make hoggies burrow less and be active? or should I just let him burrow?)

[pdomensis]

Hiding is going to be the norm, especially for a young snake. In fact, you should put in at least two hides, one on the warm side and one on the cool side, so he can feel secure and maintain proper temps. After a feed it's normal for snakes to either bask to help metabolize and digest, or to hide because they are full, slow and vulnerable. Don't try to change his behavior; try to meet his needs.

Put your under tank heater on a thermostat set to the proper basking temp for hoggies. (I dont keep them so I'll let someone else say what that temp range is-low 90s I'm guessing). Once you do that, you can probably get rid of the light completely.

I would leave him alone aside from feeding and changing his water for a week or so to let him get used to the place.

I'm not sure about the hard breathing without seeing him.

Cute little snake. Good luck and enjoy.

[Jrich]

Cute snake. I had a hog for some time and he spent most of his time burrowed under the substrate (I had a little desert sand mix spot in the tank that he thoroughly enjoyed) and he would surface at various times of the day to say hello and look around. Typical hoggy. When you see him breathe like this are you handling him or viewing him in his tank?

[Minkness]

To my understanding hoggies need less humidity, not more. Too much humidity can cause respiratory issues and scale problems. Dry coco may be ok, but moist is too much humidity. A good substrate would be sanichips also labeled 'reptile litter' in most pet stores. This should be aspen and not pine or cedar.

As far as the burrowing and hiding, it's my understanding that this is normal for them so nothing to worry about. As for breathing, sounds like it could be the humidity or stress from being handled.

[Kuamata]

Humidity?.... From what I remember of owning my Western, they aren't really humidity demanding snakes... Aspen is usually the popular choice for them because they don't need high humidity that would call for things like coco fibers.

Also sounds like stress breathing. I'm with Jrich, were you nearby or holding him? Is he in a busy part of the house(lots of movement)? How many hides does he have?

Burrowing is normal for them.

[SSSSnakes]

To my understanding hoggies need less humidity, not more. Too much humidity can cause respiratory issues and scale problems. Dry coco may be ok, but moist is too much humidity. A good substrate would be sanichips also labeled 'reptile litter' in most pet stores. This should be aspen and not pine or cedar.

As far as the burrowing and hiding, it's my understanding that this is normal for them so nothing to worry about. As for breathing, sounds like it could be the humidity or stress from being handled.

+1 agreed

Humidity?.... From what I remember of owning my Western, they aren't really humidity demanding snakes... Aspen is usually the popular choice for them because they don't need high humidity that would call for things like coco fibers.

Also sounds like stress breathing. I'm with Jrich, were you nearby or holding him? Is he in a busy part of the house(lots of movement)? How many hides does he have?

Burrowing is normal for them.

Spot on

[Cmwells90]

Yea I would drop the humidity to the low 40s, coco husk holds a lot of humidity, so if you can get it down, replace the substrate. They live in a generally dry part of the US so high humidity isn't needed, I only bump it up to about 55% during sheds and have no issues. Warm side should be around 90 to high 80's. as for the burrowing, I've had my hoggie for 7 months and I've only seen him active in the summer, he was out each morning looking around and climbing. Because they're durnial snakes they're sensitive to the day and night cycles in our area, so he's probably just ready for winter and is being less active.