Hognose Temperment and Personality

beaglegod · 02-19-04, 06:19 PM

Having read quite a few caresheets and threads on these guys, Im left with a few questions still, such as how well do they accept handling, are they as secretive as say a BP, are they fiesty,nippy,etc,etc.

Just curious cause Im tossing around the idea of scooping one up in June/July when one breeder plans to have some. Thnx.

sapphire_moon · 02-19-04, 08:36 PM

Well mine is VERY active. Fine in the cage, and out of the cage, but once I put him in the food bowl, he puffs up and starts hissing and doing his best cobra impression! Has not struck at me.

He has only ate once with me though, in the 4wks i've had it, i've offered food 4 times and he has taken it once.

beaglegod · 02-20-04, 11:48 AM

Hmmm I wonder if anyone else has had the same experience as you with hognoses saphire. Hopefully his feeding response picks up a bit, do theyseem to be easily stressed and thus easily put off feed like Royal "ball" Pythons?

JD@reptiles · 02-20-04, 12:08 PM

mine eats like a hog

. it is also really calm.

brig · 02-20-04, 12:19 PM

Ours eats like a pig mostly, but goes off his food now and then (like at the moment!). Still, he's grown a lot in the 15months we've had him and we love him a lot.
Agree with the hissy, puffy thing - he is a grumpy little so-and-so, but that's just cute. Seems to have a lot of character.

He did strike at me, when he was really tiny - latched onto my little finger for a few seconds before he realised he'd bitten off more than he could chew.
I read somewhere that they normally strike with their mouths closed, and it's just a 'leave me alone' mechanism, like all their other tricks - playing dead, hissing, musking (yeah, it really stinks, best to try and avoid this!), and flattening their heads to make them look cobra-ish.

Whilst we're far from expert with snakes generally, we keep cornsnakes, a rosy boa, a BCI and the western hognose, and I have to say that the hoggie is the one with most character and high entertainment value! We are now big hognose fans!

Hope this helps a bit (although I'm a bit biased, as you can tell!), I don't think you'd regret getting one.

Cheers,
Brig.

sapphire_moon · 02-21-04, 09:12 AM

oh ya, the musking, When i put him in his feed bowl, and I check on him HOURS later, he has usually musked all over the place! Smells like bad cheese! And of course the food is still there. I'm going to try waiting 2 wks and then offering food again to see if that will work.

He is only hissy puffy when I open the feeding bowl up, I can pick him up to get him out of his cage, and any other time, but open up that feed bowl and he flattens our and hisses! So cute! But considering that they are mildly venomous it might be wise to invest in some kind of a hook if you find yours unusually nippy. Just in case you are allergic or have a bad reaction to a bite.