This seems peculiar...

[NennaMeerkat]

Took my baby out while I cleaned her reptile carpet from a recent poo and while I had her out I noticed her "chewing" for lack of better words. She would pause while smelling and would slightly open her mouth in sort of a rolling motion or "chewing". The only time I have ever seen it was after a snake fed and needed to readjust their jaws. Several times she did this. Her head wasn't flattened or any other signs of distress that hognoses usually do if they feel threatened.

I know they are rear fanged and was wondering if it were something to do with them? Heard that hognose "chew" on prey items sometimes when feeding to envenom or stun their prey with their fangs. Could it mean she is getting hungry? I doubt that though cause she just ate Friday and it was 2 pinkie mice.

[Lankyrob]

Hmm, i also have only seen that after a feed, hope someone with more knowledge comes along to help you out.

[Dumeril daddy]

possible teathing still

[shaunyboy]

gently open her mouth and check theres no foriegn objects or damage in there

i don't use anything metal

i preffer plastic or wood (pencil) when examining any of my carpets mouths

i have no experience with hoggies so cannot tell you if this is normal behavoir

cheers shaun

[NennaMeerkat]

I am a bit cautious about opening her mouth. Later today when I have more time I will take a look at her again to see if she is still doing it. If she is I will attempt to open her mouth. Is there any particular technique I should be aware of besides not using metal?

[Marica]

My vet uses her business card to open their mouths. I have used this technique myself with ease. Also, a good grip behind their head is of course a must, and someone to hold their back end if they're squirmy. I look forward to reading methods/tools others have tried with success.

[Will0W783]

I have a set of speculums of varying sizes for opening mouths, but I've heard a credit card can be quite useful. Just grasp behind the head very gently and firmly press the card/speculum/pencil/whatever you choose to use into the mouth from the front. I use it at a slight angle and kind of roll the mouth open. I have never tried this technique on anything other than an adult snake though, so I would be very careful not to crush her neck or break her spine while forcing her mouth open. I know you have a baby hognose- I would honestly just wait and see if she is doing it tomorrow. I would err on the side of caution and wait to force open her mouth as long as possible, but that's just me being nervous about hurting any of my snakes. If you are very very gentle, it should be fine.

[NennaMeerkat]

I have a set of speculums of varying sizes for opening mouths, but I've heard a credit card can be quite useful. Just grasp behind the head very gently and firmly press the card/speculum/pencil/whatever you choose to use into the mouth from the front. I use it at a slight angle and kind of roll the mouth open. I have never tried this technique on anything other than an adult snake though, so I would be very careful not to crush her neck or break her spine while forcing her mouth open. I know you have a baby hognose- I would honestly just wait and see if she is doing it tomorrow. I would err on the side of caution and wait to force open her mouth as long as possible, but that's just me being nervous about hurting any of my snakes. If you are very very gentle, it should be fine.

Honestly the whole opening the mouth forcefully thing I am not gonna do. Didn't take her out today cause she decided to hide all day. If she is out and about tomorrow I will give her a good look over. She did move to another hiding spot at some point, but didn't see her doing it as is often the case. It is getting close to feeding time again (friday) so hopefully whatever "chewing" she was doing was nothing more than a one time thing or her being a little hungry. I mean she did take a poo and I have been told that once a snake poos it usually means its time to feed again.

[shaunyboy]

I am a bit cautious about opening her mouth. Later today when I have more time I will take a look at her again to see if she is still doing it. If she is I will attempt to open her mouth. Is there any particular technique I should be aware of besides not using metal?

grasp the snakes head so the back of the head and neck where they meet are against the palm of your hand

use your thumb on one side of head your ring finger on the other side

use the 2 fingers inbetween to press against the top of the head

your snake should now be unable to move its head

take a pencil

use it horozontally and press gently against the front of the mouth between the lips

as the jaws (mouth) starts to part ease the pencil in until it reaches the back of the mouth and can go no further due to it being right at the back of the mouth

get someone to shine a torch into the mouth

you will be able to see if theres any foriegn objects or broken teeth

hoggies are mildly venomous and bad reactions can happen with some people so be carefull not get chewed on

cheers shaun

[NennaMeerkat]

Final Update

Found out what it most likely is. In the same room, but across on the other side of it, that I keep my hognose I have 2 dumbo rats (pets not food). Today while cleaning out poo and giving her some time to explore outside her aquarium, I noticed when I brought her close to the rat's aquarium that she began to "chew" again. Thus I have come to the conclusion that it is a response to the scent of the rats themselves that is causing her to do this. Sorta a food response, getting ready to eat type behavior. I realized this and compared it to the last time and I remember having refilled the rats water and food earlier that day (about 2 hours at least) and didn't wash my hands afterwards. Some of the residual scent probably was on me thus causing the same response.

Has anyone else got any rodents alive in their home that they could try and see if maybe some other snakes would do the same? Might be some interesting new behavior...or just my imagination.

[Reptile_Reptile]

ok you need to remove the rodents from your reptile room. she can and does smell them and it most defiantly has uped her stress and thats no good. rodents are prey to snakes but a rodent that the snake cant find is still a danger to the snake and it stresses them out. plus being in predator mode all day everyday will make her a sour puss from the stress of it all. even if the are across the room its not ok for your snake or rats who probably smell her too. for the sake of your pets move one of them out of the room to another room

[Lankyrob]

We have hamsters and guinea pigs in the room with the snakes, it has n noticeable effect on the snakes at all, the only time weget feeding, preatory modes are when we are defrosting prey items. The smell of the other animals is what they are used to as their normal environment.

[Reptile_Reptile]

well i cant have any rodents in the same room as my snakes without somewhat of a predatory response.

[NennaMeerkat]

Well it is unlikely that she can smell them from where she is unless I deliberatly take her over to them OR stupidly forget to wash my hands. She is up high on the top of a bookshelf while the rats are lower down on a low table and across the room. We also have many animals in our home (2 dogs and a cat) that add their own smell to the mix. Now if they were living right next to one another I would be worried. Also as Lanky said it is her environment and has been that way since we got her. If she was ALWAYS chewing and acted aggressive or bitey towards us when we do have her out or clean her poo then I would consider it.

However it is something I will certainly keep my eye on the situation. Not sure where we will move her or the rats if there does seem added stress or aggression as the room with our Bearded Dragon has no other surface to put the snake aquarium on. And the bookshelf certainly can't be moved either. But worse comes to worse I will come up with something to be sure.

[Reptile_Reptile]

my suggestion would be to switch the rodents with the beardys get your reptiles in one room and the mamals in another but i guess thats just me. and maybe its just her unhinging and rehinging her jaw. ive seen my corn do it without any prey around she proboably does it once a week

[NennaMeerkat]

I will keep an eye on her, if it does become something more (honestly this is the 2nd time I saw her do it) I will do some swapping around. The only problem with switching rats with lizard is that would put our rats in our bedroom...which would mean listening to them all night. No real fun there.