W. Hognose Finally Ate

[sapphire_moon]

Well we got a live pink the other day and did a little push back and forth, but he took the pink without to much convincing.

He struck at it a few times with mouth closed. It looked like he was knawing on it. Is this because he is rear fanged? He also took it from the middle and worked his way down to the "Rear" of the prey and took it backwards.


I am sure I asked this question before. But I don't think I got answered to my satisfaction.

I thought I would ask because they are kind of the same thickness all over.

I know my corn can take a pretty large meal. But can a W.Hognose take something that is 1.5-2 (maybe 3) times the biggest "part" of his body?

And Obviously this goes with the last question. But can they stretch their jaws like corns and bp's?

Thanks for any info!

P.S

Thanks for all the feeding tips!

[Removed_2815]

Woohoo!!
Glad to hear that he ate!
Hognose snakes can take surprisingly large food sources (it goes without saying that you should not push it right now though, don't want a regurge, better to err on the side of caution). I recommend with all snakes to follow the general rule not to feed much larger than the largest part of the body, maybe 1.5X at most. Two food items are much better than one prey item that is two-times too big (does that make sense? ;))
My neonate hogs will strike the midsection of the mouse and chew a bit too. There's no way to tell with any degree of certainty why they do this, but it is conceivable that it has something to do with the rear-fangs and venom.
Cheers,
R

[sapphire_moon]

Oh of course, I won't up the food size until he has successsfully ate atleast 4 times in a row at the prey size he is currently at......did I confuse you? lol.
Yes that makes sense.
Hopefully he will take another pink in about 5 days or so.
Considering that w.hognose are a heavy bodied colubrid, I think he needs a little weight.

[Removed_2815]

Originally posted by sapphire_moon
......did I confuse you? lol.

No, no, just wanted to follow up with that disclaimer, for the readers, that just because hogs (or any snake) are capable of taking very big meals doesn't necessarily mean it's good for them....
R
P.S. Hogs are funny, he'll let you know when he thinks he needs a little weight, he'll eat like crazy, and then stop again just to frustrate you LOL

[sapphire_moon]

oh my bp's already do that. lol

[snakehunter]

HEY Congrats Sapphire, guess what...........my female stopped eating!!! OH the perels of w. hog ownwership!

[sapphire_moon]

lol, that sucks. Isn't this about time when they stop eating anyways?

[Auskan]

So glad to hear that he finally ate for you again - its hard not to worry when they won't eat - especially when its a new snake.

[sapphire_moon]

I always worry. Just got over the "worry phase" of the bp not eating. I figure as long as she is a good weight then no probs. But I am going to try to give her a mouse and see how she reacts to that....

[sapphire_moon]

I can't believe my w.hognose did it! IT was so cute!

I picked him up out of his cage (well all cute except this part) he musked all over me, pooped on me, and did the "I'm dead" thing! Mouth open and all!

[Auskan]

Did you read the story in Reptiles (it was either the Dec '03 issue or the '04 Annual)? These people were driving down the road and saw a little snake that had been hit by a car. They picked it up, and it rolled over in her hand and stuck out its tongue. That's when she knew it was a Western Hognose. They took it back to their hotel room and later that evening it was still playing dead. The next morning it was still playing dead. That afternoon it was STILL playing dead. That's when she picked it up and realized it wasn't PLAYING dead, it WAS dead. And it wasn't a W. Hognose either, though it was a snake that looks similar (can't remember the name now). Anyway, it was a funny story.

[sapphire_moon]

It was probably a prarie rattle snake (I THINK thats what they are called.). That so had to have sucked.

but nope my little guy wasn't dead. I rolled him over and he promptly rolled himself back over, plus he kind of moved his head to the side and looked up at me and flicked his tounge like "ha ha" lol.

[Auskan]

No, it wasn't a prairie rattlesnake. It was something that is very closely related to a W. Hognose - I'll look and see in my magazine if I remember tonight.

[Swampwalker]

I believe it was a Chihuahuan Hook-nosed Snake (Gyalopion canum)