Meet Hoggle! Aka my friends are all enablers. - Page 2

Lefitte · 02-16-16, 05:34 AM

Well, I say try because she's on the paper towels still and the hide was pushed against the glass so there was really no where for her to go xD She wasn't just pushing it around and going under or something. She did happen to be under the paper towels under the hide when I peeked on her tonight buuut I don't think she achieved that with the way she was digging earlier.

Lefitte · 02-17-16, 12:33 AM

Attached her thermostat tonight.

Pinkie one down the hatch! She was a little stressed about getting shifted around with the thermostat stuff so it took me putting the pinkie in her face before she got interested and then she slowly opened her mouth and started eating... as in no strike at all. I've seen human babies attack spoons more aggressively than she did!

I thought it was too small while she was eating, I guess I'm not used to big cheeks, but it left a decent little lump. It was 2g compared to her 11g.

**Minkness** · 02-17-16, 12:37 AM

Mine rarely ever strike when feeding. They seem more.....demure when taking their meal. Like a lady or gentleman out to mid-day tea in am english garden. XD

Lefitte · 02-17-16, 12:50 AM

Perfect explanation. Not gonna lie, that picture of the hoggie with the top hat and mustache is totally one thing that made me love them.

**Andy_G** · 02-17-16, 07:51 AM

They tend to latch on if the pinkie is pressed against their snout. One of their quirks.

Lefitte · 02-19-16, 04:41 AM

Took my baby out tonight. Such a good thing I checked on her. Not sure what happened but there was a small strip of paper towel in her water dish, the dish was bone dry, and the two layers of paper towels were wet. Not sure if it had been bumped or if the towel was to blame. Gave her nice dry paper towels to replace them. She did really well tonight. It's only been 6 days but I needed to take her out anyway and it's been 24 hours since she ate. I got a couple little videos but I can't share my fb videos due to settings and it's taking forever to upload anything right now so no youtube. Got her length! A teeny 8 inches!

**Aaron_S** · 02-19-16, 12:10 PM

Glad you're really enjoying your first hognose snake! Tons of fun.

Just an FYI, that scar above her cloaca is most likely where she was attached to her yolk. AKA, belly button. It won't be an issue.

Lefitte · 02-19-16, 07:06 PM

That's what I was discussing with Minkness the day I got her but we agreed that it didn't sound the same. I havent looked again because I keep forgetting to but I'm pretty sure I saw one clean vertical line along her horizontal belly scales (typically what I think of in regards to belly buttons) but this one was between that and the cloaca and comes from all directions kind of messing up the belly scales. I'll try to get a better look later today and maybe a clear photo if possible. I could be completely wrong in memory.

Lefitte · 02-21-16, 05:51 AM

Not sure if it's new tank syndrome or not but I already see her more than either of my other two. And I typically see my king's little face peeking out of her hide to watch the world go by from her safe spot. I went to check on her water because that stone-y material mixed with a screen top means that the water out of the dish evaporates very quickly and it's a small dish. Besides, I had that spill the other day so I had to double check that it didn't happen again. Her humidity is in the 40%, simply ambient humidity for my house. [My king's ambient humidity in her AP is typically 60% whereas my brb's RUB likes to drop to the mid-80's in humidity if I'm not careful or if the moss is drying out like it has the past few days].

Like I said I would, I was able to capture a couple quick and decent pictures of Hoggle's belly 'scar'. I think it might be her belly button, but something kinda went wrong with it. I'm not worried about it, just something to monitor. Her tummy's mostly black so it's really hard to get a decent shot of a black shiny belly on a squiggleworm.

To show where along her body it is. Remember, she's only barely 8 inches long.

It indents.

Final super close shot.

So glad I have a sister who is willing to help me with the noodles. She was able to get these shots for me while I held her.

**Aaron_S** · 02-21-16, 09:57 AM

Yeah that looks healed but looks like it was once a wound.

Herpo · 02-21-16, 01:49 PM

The scales remind me of a rattler!

**Andy_G** · 02-21-16, 01:51 PM

Looks like what my friend Aaron mentioned, where the umbilicus was attached. Some hatchlings of this particular species, especially those whose eggs are cut by the breeder , will hatch out with the umbilicus still attached. When this happens, injury can occur due to the tugging involved from normal movements, and that's the result. It does occasionally occur no matter what, though.

As far as activity levels, hognose are much more active than some other commonly kept colubrids, with a fast metabolism as well provided the heat is there. You're probably just seeing normal behaviour.

Lefitte · 02-21-16, 05:13 PM

I'm pretty sure, considering that the territories undoubtedly overlap, that hognoses use their looks as a defense. If it looks like a rattler, it should probably just be left alone. But I dont see much rattle tail from them so maybe it's just coincidence.

Yeah, whatever happened has healed up nicely. I can see how the issue with the umbellicus could happen, and after getting a better look at it, I think that's the most likely scenario. I hope the indented part doesnt give me any trouble when she sheds.

The activity surprises me a little because when reading up on their adult requirements I was coming up on such tiny cage sizes. Which, I mean, they stay tiny but more active snakes generally benefit most from more room. Her current tank is a short 10g and she barely measures the length of one short side.

I've noticed the fast metabolism and I'll come up with a proper feeding schedule for her over the next few weeks. I'll probably feed today since it's feeding day for my boa as well. It's been five days for her already.

**Minkness** · 02-21-16, 05:21 PM

When mine were itty bitty babies I fed twice a week 2-3 pinkies. Once theybhit about a year old, they dropped down to once a week on their own and the females now only feed about every other week. You would think they would eat more but they don't. Nothing in their tanks/tubs change they just refuse every other week. I have one male who still on his winter strike, but he is still very healthy and full of attitude lol.

As for tank sizes, my girls are far more active than my boys. The albino is in a 20 long and does fine in there. She has 2 hides and climbs all over them as well as burrows and sometimes just runs laps. The other female is in a large tub and does alot of the same. Both have enough room to stretch their full length and they do laps no matter how large the set up is, or what else I put in there for them.

So, your girl should be fine in a 20 long or equivalent when adult. All of my males are in 10s and they have enough room to stretch out and be as active as they wish. But again, they are less active than the females for some reason.

**Andy_G** · 02-21-16, 06:14 PM

They won't rattle. They will curl up their tail, accompanied by a waving motion, closed mouth strike, hiss and flatten/hood instead.

The scar will become less apparent as the animal sheds and ages, I don't anticipate problems with sheds for you.

These guys are really active but due to their small size, you don't NEED to go too big but there's no harm in doing so, provided they remain as strong feeders on whatever schedule you choose to put them on. My hatchlings were kept in deli cups after the first 2 feedings, then a shoe box size rubbermaid rack sysem. Adults were kept in sweater box size rubbermaid racks which each tub measured out with a 23x13 inch floor space.

Aside from one female that would attempt to eat anything including fingers, tongs, blankets, or carpet... they were all handed very regularly and very docile aside from the odd bluff fest.

This species pigged out for me. My babies were fed every 3 to 4 days, adults every 5. Smaller more frequent meals are best and keep them on mice due to the lower fat and higher calcium content of adult mice vs rat pups. You'll get much better calcified eggs from the female if you do this and of course rat pups will fatten them up and breeding issues will probably result. The only time females would go off feed was when gravid and males would skip the odd meal here and there, mostly when actively breeding. They will go on food strikes if they catch a cool enough breeze so keep that in mind as well.

Saying all that...I don't doubt that Mink is keeping his properly...just not something I ever experienced and it could even come down to where you live.