New snake owner

[Syrus]

Ok, so I have always liked hognose snakes, and have told my boyfriend I would like to get one in the future. Well I guess when I said that he heard "go out and buy one as a surprise for me a week later"
Luckily I have done some research into their care and had all the supplies already(I own various frogs and geckos)
So I now own Ravi a little male western hognose. The guy at the store told my bf that he was 2 years old and a good feeder.
I have NEVER owned a snake before, and am a little afraid I am going to make some silly mistake that most snake owners would know. I right now have him in a 10 gal (looking to get a 15 for him, but cant immediately so he will probably be in it for the next month)
with the warm spot being kept warm with a heat mat at about 88-95 degrees and I haven't been measuring the coolside. I have made a hide out of the furnishings in his cage, though he seems to ignore them completely and just bury himself instead, along with a water dish and about 3-4 inches of coco fiber on the cool side and about a half a inch on the warm side(its more shallow so the heat mat works better). I called the petstore and they said they last fed him a fuzzy on wednesday the 8th so I decided to wait until the 17th to feed him again. I read that they appreciate less humidity so I haven't sprayed or monitored it.
He is almost 100% hiding in the substrate, he came out the second day for about an hour to explore and other than that he just chills in coco fiber. I dont have any light on his cage, but do keep a window that faces his cage open to allow appropriate sunlight to help with this day cycle.

How often do they come out of the substrate? Is it pretty normal that he spends most of the time hiding? Anything I should be doing that I am not?
Also, what is the normal price for them? I asked my bf and he said he either paid $80 or $90 for him, that seems pretty pricey and just curious what is normal.

[Slcburm]

Congrats on the snake. Seems like your doing well. I would lower the hot side to about 90 of so but if the cool side (which you need to monitor) offers a good ambient temp for him to cool off then you should be fine. He will probably stay hidden and creep out at night. I would just let him be and do not handle til he eats. I would feed him about Friday or Saturday then let him settle a few days before handling. Have fun with the little guy and the next step up if he stays in a glass cage would be a 30-40 gal and he will be set for life

[Syrus]

Congrats on the snake. Seems like your doing well. I would lower the hot side to about 90 of so but if the cool side (which you need to monitor) offers a good ambient temp for him to cool off then you should be fine. He will probably stay hidden and creep out at night. I would just let him be and do not handle til he eats. I would feed him about Friday or Saturday then let him settle a few days before handling. Have fun with the little guy and the next step up if he stays in a glass cage would be a 30-40 gal and he will be set for life

I will lower his temp and move his thermometer over to the other side right now. And I am glad you posted because I am surprised at a couple things you have said and am glad to know now. I thought they were diurnal snakes, so I was worried cause I saw no day time activity. also I read a couple of guides and they said between a 10-20 gallon would be good for life, I settled on a 15 because he is a male and was told he wouldn't get any bigger(he is about 13-15 inches). Would you recommend a plastic tub over a glass aquarium? And if so does a heatmat work the same way as with a aquarium?

[snake man12]

A tub would be better and the heat mats work well with the tubs. Good luck with your new friend.

[Ivalynfyre]

Just make sure you use a thermostat with the heat may, if you aren't already.
And if I'm not mistaken, hognoses have higher metabolisms and need to eat more often..

[Syrus]

Just make sure you use a thermostat with the heat may, if you aren't already.
And if I'm not mistaken, hognoses have higher metabolisms and need to eat more often..

ALL care sheets online say they should be fed every 7-10 days, and I figured since of his age(2 years if I didn't say in the first post) he is done growing and should be closer to the maximum rather than minimum. Tell me if I'm incorrect with this

[snake man12]

Snakes never stop growing their whole life. And Ivalynfyre is correct they have a pretty high metabolism and need to be fed every 3 to 5 days.

[Syrus]

ok, I will try feeding in the morning than, thanks for all the info guys, this is quite different than what I have been reading

[snake man12]

Many of us have years and years of experience. Good luck.

[Ivalynfyre]

I do not keep any kind of hognose, but after reading through this (http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/heterodon/93135-my-snake-eating-too-often-please-respond.html) thread, I got the idea they have higher metabolisms.

[Becky Goings]

Slcburm, just out of curiosity, why did you recommend a 30-40 gallon tank for a snake that very likely won't grow over 18 inches? We just got a hognose, and most everything I can find says a 20 gallon would be plenty big enough. We use tubs, so it's a little different for us, but it's something I need to know to keep my little Winston happy and healthy! Thanks in advance!

[Gregg M]

Sicbum,
From one paragraph, I can tell you have never kept hognose snake. Or at the very least, never kept one successfully. I would not be offering advice on how to keep animals I have never kept successfully or at all.

Congrats on the snake. Seems like your doing well. I would lower the hot side to about 90 of so but if the cool side (which you need to monitor) offers a good ambient temp for him to cool off then you should be fine.
Hognose snakes should have a hot spot of 95 degrees. I keep mine as high as 98 degrees. With a properly set up hot spot, the cool side would fall into place and does not need to be monitored.

They have fast metabolisms and eat a lot more often than most other snakes. They should be fed every 2 to 3 days.

the next step up if he stays in a glass cage would be a 30-40 gal and he will be set for life

A male hognose will be able to live its entire life in the 10 gallon tank he is in now.

To the OP, even though they come from arid areas, like mosr reptiles, they should have an area that is humid. Hogs spend lots of time underground where it is humid. Offer a small humid hide.

[Slcburm]

Sicbum,
From one paragraph, I can tell you have never kept hognose snake. Or at the very least, never kept one successfully. I would not be offering advice on how to keep animals I have never kept successfully or at all.


Hognose snakes should have a hot spot of 95 degrees. I keep mine as high as 98 degrees. With a properly set up hot spot, the cool side would fall into place and does not need to be monitored.

They have fast metabolisms and eat a lot more often than most other snakes. They should be fed every 2 to 3 days.



A male hognose will be able to live its entire life in the 10 gallon tank he is in now.

To the OP, even though they come from arid areas, like mosr reptiles, they should have an area that is humid. Hogs spend lots of time underground where it is humid. Offer a small humid hide.

I have kept plenty of snakes successfully and my brother kept hognses. Kept her in a 30 gallon setup with hides etc and she did awesome. Had the hot side around 91 and she ate, shed, **** and grew fine. God forbid someone keeps them different than you and probably gets better results.

So dont tell me to no give an opinon when I know exactly what im talking about

[Gregg M]

I have kept plenty of snakes successfully and my brother kept hognses. Kept her in a 30 gallon setup with hides etc and she did awesome. Had the hot side around 91 and she ate, shed, **** and grew fine.

One of the key words here is the work "kept". This indicates that you are speaking in the past tense. Meaning that you or your brother no longer keep hognose snakes. This also tells me that you either gave up keeping them or you were unsuccessful in keeping them alive in your set up. I will go with the last one I mentioned. And it does not matter what other species of snake you have kept. Hognose snakes are in a catagory all their own.

God forbid someone keeps them different than you and probably gets better results.

Really? Better results? What was the longest lived hognose snake you have kept in your collection? How many clutches of hognose snake eggs have you gotten and hatched?

Are your results better than this???
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8429/7578893322_b207d229ae_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7274/7565977090_6339788f2a_b.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6184/6138780554_5102dd91e2_b.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6134/5984140309_833b0e6b7f_b.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6149/5983305770_4795c34b65_b.jpg
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4149/5034334727_cde6a0e5cd_b.jpg
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4152/5027665964_73dd295be5_b.jpg
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4150/5025834097_259bc2676c_b.jpg

And that is just a fraction.I have my original breeders, their offspring, their offsprings offspring, and the offspring of those offspring. 4 generations and going strong.

So dont tell me to no give an opinon when I know exactly what im talking about

There comes a time where opinion really needs to be pushed aside for actual fact. The fact is, you opinions will not do a new hognose keeper any good at all. You should leave the advice giving to people who have actual documented experience with the species. Get a grip dude. You are in no stance to give advice on hognose snake husbandry. Your inforation is old, out dated, and completely off the mark.
The fact is, you really do not know what you are talking about based on your bad husbandry advice.

So please, if you will, tell me and everyone reading about your great success with this species.....

[Slcburm]

I keep snakes. Now just burms and retics. Someone on thsi site sent me a pm stating your a "pain in the *** know it all" so you keep doing your thing and acting like some kind of goddess...

[Gregg M]

Someone on thsi site sent me a pm stating your a "pain in the *** know it all".

Wow, that is suprizing. LOL. It was most likely someone who I corrected because they were giving out crap information much in the same way as you were in this thread. Why are you trying to attack me on a personal level anyway? I know you are all butt hurt because your information got corrected by someone who actually knows what they are talking about but there is no need for personal attacks on me or my manhood.

Can you please just answer the original questions?

What is your longest lived hognose snake?

Have you ever gotten eggs from them?

How many have you hatched?

[Slcburm]

I'm not attacking you at all I'm just enjoying the fact they were correct.

[Gregg M]

Here is the poor advice and crap info you have given out thus far.

I would lower the hot side to about 90 of so but if the cool side (which you need to monitor) offers a good ambient temp for him to cool off

Hogs should be kept with a hot spot in the mid to upper 90's. This is how most, if not all successful hog keepers and breeders keep them. Why would you suggest lowering the hot spot on its cage when it needs to have it hotter? Also, even in a 16 quart bin, the ambient cool side will fall into place automatically and it does not need to be monitored.

He will probably stay hidden and creep out at night. I would just let him be and do not handle til he eats. I would feed him about Friday or Saturday then let him settle a few days before handling.

Why would a primarily diurnal species of snake hide all day and "creep" out at night?

Being that hognose snakes require much more food than your average snake, they will be eating every 3rd day or so. If it eats and two days later it eats again, where does the handling time come in in your opinion? The fact is, you can handle your hognose the very next day because in a proper set up the meal it ate the day before is already mostly digested.

Have fun with the little guy and the next step up if he stays in a glass cage would be a 30-40 gal and he will be set for life

Why would a male hognose snake, who will max out between 16 and 20 inches, need a 30 to 40 gallon tank? It is also pretty well documented that this species does not do good in large cages.

I have kept plenty of snakes successfully and my brother kept hognses.

Thats great, you have kept plenty of snakes, but not hognose snakes. And your brother once kept a female hognose snake. How does this qualify you to give advice on the species. I would never give advice on species I have never kept before. I never kept a retic in my life. I would not argue husbandry on them with someone like you who keeps them.

Kept her in a 30 gallon setup with hides etc and she did awesome. Had the hot side around 91 and she ate, shed, **** and grew fine.

Ok, so what is your idea proper eating, shedding, deficating, and growing when it comes to hognose snakes? I am sure it is much different than my idea and the ideas of others who keep and breed hogs successfully.

How big did this hog of your brothers get? How long did it take to get to adult size? How often did it eat? How often did it deficate? How often did it shed? How long did it live? How many fertile clutches did it lay?

So dont tell me to no give an opinon when I know exactly what im talking about

The fact is, you know nothing about keeping this species in captivity. That is easy to see from you poor info and advice.

As far as me being a know it all goes... When it comes to species I keep and breed successfully, I do know quite a bit. You do not write published articles, head breeding programs, and get quoted and mentioned in published books because you dont know a thing or three.

When it comes to species I do not keep, I keep my mouth shut and learn all I can from experienced keepers and breeders. Something you should try doing!

[Slcburm]

Ha ha cool story Bro

[Gregg M]

Ha ha cool story Bro

LOL. OMG... Now I know what I am dealing with here. Thanks for the nice, mature PM you sent. Very nice of you.

For someone with so much experience, you sure have asked a lot of questions that someone brand new to the hobby would ask.

Some examples.

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/general-enclosure-discussion/93034-cleaning-question.html

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/giant-python-discussion/93047-substrate-help.html

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/food-thought-forum/93090-feeding-question.html

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/food-thought-forum/93212-feeding-question-burm.html

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/food-thought-forum/93301-enclosure-feeding.html

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/food-thought-forum/93323-scenting-animals.html

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/giant-python-discussion/93989-cage-question-retic.html

And thats just a fraction. LOL. Like I said, no stance to be giving advice.

[Slcburm]

I ask because it keeps threads going dad. I've kept snakes for just over 7 years and sometimes I like to try things different.

[Gregg M]

Can everyone settle down and help this new snake owner out? Arguing isn't very helpful.

That's my 2 cents worth, lol. Thanks...

I was making sure that the new hognose snake owner did not follow Sicburms bad advice. I was helping and also gave advice.

[Pareeeee]

Where did my post go? That's weird. I can see the quote of my post but not my own post.

[maximus30576]

So many threads end this way now days ...

[Pareeeee]

So many threads end this way now days ...

know what u mean... :sad: people should be able to give constructive advice without arguing...

[Gregg M]

know what u mean... :sad: people should be able to give constructive advice without arguing...

This I agree with. However, the wrong advice is not constuctive and can actually be destructive. This is what needs to be avoided. Bad advice needs to be corrected quickly before someone takes it.

[Pareeeee]

You can correct in a nice way.

[Gregg M]

You can correct in a nice way.

My fist post was not nice or nasty. It was straight to the point and honest. You want me to stroke someones hand and sugar coat the situation too? LOL

[Gatorhunter1231]

Gregg offered updated advice. He may have been slightly rough but at the same time slcburm is giving advice that is based on raising pythons. I could tell as soon as he said they were nocturnal. It went down the rabbit hole quickly after it started getting personal.

Back to being a constructive conversation. What are you using for substrate? I have been using either newspaper or a good sandy dirt. The sandy dirt is working very well and allows my hogs to burrow which they like to do. It also ups the humidty a little bit. What are you keeping you humidty at generally Gregg.

[Slcburm]

i dont want you to stroke anything