New Hognose Need Advice

NennaMeerkat · 12-20-10, 08:58 PM

My husband bought me a western hognose female snake baby for xmas (isn't he sweet?) and though I have worked with them in the past they were adult and already setup and comfy with their home (a zoo). In the past we also owned 2 corn snakes and they were never any problem from day one.

I have heard that hognoses can be finicky and hard to get them to eat once placed in a new home. Also as a snake owner I have only ever fed live food to my snakes, but I know hognoses don't constrict so I really have no true idea on the whole frozen/thawed area. Everyone says just thaw, heat, and feed.

Well today I tried just that...thawed, heat, and attempted to feed. The snake showed NO interest in the food what so ever. With our corn snakes they ate anything we fed them without any wait time when we first brought them home. For our new hognose it has been almost 2 days since we bought her and I am trying to keep the breeders feeding schedule (which was to feed every monday).

Tried feeding her outside the aquarium in a dark container, just leaving the pinkie in it, she just curled up and didn't move. Tried jiggling the little bugger a little with a pair of tweezers and she seemed afraid of it then. Tried feeding her in her home in the hide box and still just curled up with no interest. Every time I made sure the pinkie was warm.

I know I know I am probably over worrying but I am scared that she won't adapt to her new home and won't eat. Especially considering our 2 corn snakes that we used to own being so easy to feed from the get go.

So please I need some real good advice here.

totheend · 12-21-10, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NennaMeerkat

For our new hognose it has been almost 2 days since we bought her and I am trying to keep the breeders feeding schedule (which was to feed every monday).

You have only had her 2 days? You need to let her settle in and attempt feeding in a week or 2.

NennaMeerkat · 12-21-10, 12:23 AM

I guess cornsnakes are drastically different than a hognose when it comes to settling? Cause as I said when we had the two cornsnakes they ate I think the day after we got them just cause that was when the breeder told us to do it to stay on schedule.

How long should I wait then?

Ch^4 · 12-21-10, 01:36 AM

Every species of snake will have their own caveats in regards to both settling in and feeding. As a general rule of thumb, there should be minimal interaction with the new snake for at least 7 days. Minimal interaction means cleaning and providing fresh water; the hard part is actually interacting using a minimalists' mentality! Try to leave the snake alone, except to check temps/humidity and as I mentioned, for cleaning and giving water. (It will be difficult!)

Activities beyond those explained above could lead to unnecessary stress for the snake, which could in turn lead to a lack of appetite.

After your painfully difficult week away from your new baby, you can attempt to feed. Everyone has different opinions on whether to feed in the cage or in a separate feeding box, so just do what you are more comfortable with. It may be less stressful for the snake if you initially feed in her cage. After she starts eating regularly in the cage, you can start feeding her in a separate enclosure--if you prefer to do so of course! (I feed all of mine outside of their cage, but again, nearly everyone has different opinions on the subject matter.)

If she still doesn't take food for you after the week of isolation, give her another week, with minimal interaction, and try again. Hopefully she will be eating by her next attempt, but if not, feel free to post additional questions! Health wise, she should be okay going without food for a few weeks, but sooner is always better (relieving for the owner that is)!

Good luck!

NennaMeerkat · 12-21-10, 03:01 AM

Thanks much for that CH^4 (interesting name BTW). I can leave my baby alone but my husband is the one that is acting like a big baby and all pissy when it comes to it. He loves snakes and the such. Such a big kid LOL I am happy enough to just let her get used to the noise and smells of our busy home.

Now my next question(s) would be about feeding the thawed rodent pinkies. I have ALWAYS fed live to my corn snakes (sadly don't have them anymore) without any problems. Nice active hunters they were. But since hognoses aren't constrictors I have to do the thawed route. Never done it and am a bit wary about it since I have to participate in the feeding more than just putting in a few live pinkies. I don't want to scare her or make her not want to eat.

So what is the tried and true method to painlessly feed thawed mice?

shaunyboy · 12-21-10, 06:51 AM

its only carpet pythons i work with but as a rule i give them all 1 to 2 weeks to settle in before trying to feed

dont get me wrong some snakes will eat the same day you bring them home as a rule i feel its more productive to let them settle in and feel secure

make sure she has plenty hides etc to help her feel more secure

my mate bred hoggies a while back and if i remember correctly it took a few weeks to get some of the hatchlings feeding on pinky mice

have you asked the person you got it from when it last ate and what type of prey was used ?

i'm sure someone on here with hoggie experience will be able to give you some help

i had a really bad feeding carpet hatchling once after trying everything it was lizards that got her feeding after 10 month

she now eats frozen thawed rats has never missed a feed.

i wish you all the best in getting her to eat

cheers shaun

Ch^4 · 12-21-10, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NennaMeerkat

Thanks much for that CH^4 (interesting name BTW). I can leave my baby alone but my husband is the one that is acting like a big baby and all pissy when it comes to it. He loves snakes and the such. Such a big kid LOL I am happy enough to just let her get used to the noise and smells of our busy home.

Now my next question(s) would be about feeding the thawed rodent pinkies. I have ALWAYS fed live to my corn snakes (sadly don't have them anymore) without any problems. Nice active hunters they were. But since hognoses aren't constrictors I have to do the thawed route. Never done it and am a bit wary about it since I have to participate in the feeding more than just putting in a few live pinkies. I don't want to scare her or make her not want to eat.

So what is the tried and true method to painlessly feed thawed mice?

Good luck with your husband!

Thanks, my name was created a few months back when I had 4 snakes. All of their names start with the letters "Ch," and being an engineer, it was only natural to do: Ch*Ch*Ch*Ch = Ch^4. Kind of geeky! After X-mas though, my collection will be up to 8, so I'm going to need new names for the babies...I might have to change my name to Ch^8..LOL

I think Shaun and Rob covered F/T food pretty good.

I simply put the frozen prey in a plastic bag, which is then put into a very hot bowl of water. I change the water about every 15 minutes. After 30-60 minutes, depending on the size of the prey, I feel the prey item to make sure it is warm throughout (I squeeze it everywhere--if it's not mostly soft, it might not be thawed completely). If it is, I run it under really hot water for about 30 seconds, remove it from the bag with tongs, and drop it into their feed box.

If they don't find it themselves within about a minute or two, I will pick it up with the tongs and get their attention--they usually strike by then, but it may take some more "zombie dancing." (Essentially teasing the snake by making them think the item is alive).

Hope that helps!

NennaMeerkat · 12-21-10, 02:00 PM

Thanks to EVERYONE for all the good advice and my worries have really be put down...for now. I am leaving her alone until next monday which would be a week before I try to feed her. Gonna pick up a 3 pack of frozen pinkies Thursday to get ready for the event. I also saved the container the breeder had her in when we first got her...gonna use that to feed her in since it isn't overly large...and another breeder I got in touch with said to put her and the food box in a dark room with no "stimuli" for an hour. If she doesn't eat I will wait another week.

Hopefully this will do it and then I won't come running back here in proverbial tears all worried again.

And CH^4 or CH^8 as you will soon be, you have been most helpful and most delightful to talk with! Look forward to doing it again soon and seeing some pics of your new acquirers.

Lankyrob · 12-21-10, 08:46 AM

My method of feeding frozen thawed mice - i leave them overnight to defrost - then put the glass bowl i use to hold them in onto a hot radiator for about five minutes. When i am ready to actually feed the snake i pick the mouse up by the tail and let the head of the mouse rest on the radiator for about ten seconds or so - this super heats the head and gives a good signature for the snake to strike at. I then dangle the mouse head down in front of the snake and if necessary wiggle it a little.

Just a note tho - i have never tried feeding a hoggy!!

NennaMeerkat · 12-21-10, 11:26 PM

New Question

Should I be worried about the breeder when she seems surprised that our new hognose didn't eat on Monday which would be on schedule with her normal feeding times? I emailed her basically the same thing I wrote here in the forum and she simply replied "She isn't eating?"

Lankyrob · 12-22-10, 06:31 AM

Personally none of my snakes have eaten for the first seven days that i have had them home (no hoggies tho), the general view is that some will feed immediately and some will need to settle first. I wouldn't worry yet, give it a week or so to settle in and then try feeding.

Will0W783 · 12-22-10, 09:03 AM

Nenna, I just thought of something that might help get your little guy eating again. If you own a frog of any kind, rub the f/t pink on the frog before offering it. Frogs and lizards are hoggies' natural diet in the wild, so scenting a pink might perk him up a bit. Once he gets going steadily, you should be able to wean him off the scenteds.

NennaMeerkat · 12-22-10, 09:03 AM

Thursday I am thinking of going to a local feed store to get some live pinkies (thinking 2 small instead of 1 large). I was thinking that live might stimulate her more and to eat. True I know a lot of people are against feeding live but since pinkies can't hurt her wouldn't it be good to at least try and get her to eat. Thursday would technically be 6 days that we have had her.

Will0W783 · 12-22-10, 09:10 AM

Live pinkies are not a problem. They have no teeth and so can't hurt the snake. I am all for doing whatever it takes to get an animal eating, and then worrying about switching food items once it's established and healthy.

NennaMeerkat · 12-22-10, 09:36 AM

I have heard of people feeding even their adult hognoses live hoppers. For an adult snake are live hoppers dangerous?

On another note the breeder seems to be frustrated that she hasn't eaten yet and even said to bring her back if she doesn't by next week to see if she can. She even divulged that she hates breeding them because they are such "picky eaters". Honestly is it that hard??