Our Western Hognose care sheet

---

Difficulty: Intermediate

Western hognose snakes are small, fossorial (burrowing) snakes native to the grasslands and dry rock lands of western North America. They are commonly found in areas with sandy, well-drained soil, perfect for burrowing. As fossorial animals, hognoses spend most of their time underground, occasionally emerging to bask or hunt.

Western hognoses typically range between 17-35 inches long, with females being significantly larger than males. They have a blunt, triangular head, an upturned nose, and keeled scales along their bodies. Their keeled scales and blotchy tan and brown pattern of the common wild-type make them often mistaken for rattlesnakes at first glance.

Hognose snakes are relatively easy to care for and make excellent pets. They generally live 10-15 years in captivity with proper care.

  Proper cage sizing is a widely debated topic in the reptile community. It can vary greatly by species, but most sources recommend a minimum of an 18x18x24 enclosure for adult hognoses. While this is ideal, they can also thrive in a 40-gallon breeder tank. Baby and juvenile hognoses actually do better in a smaller setup. We house our hatchlings in 6-quart tubs (also known as “pencil tubs”) during their first year before upgrading them to larger enclosures.

  Like other reptiles, western hognoses are poikilothermic, meaning they rely on external temperatures to regulate their body heat. They need a gradient of temperatures in their enclosure for proper thermoregulation.

Temperature Gradient for Western Hognose Snakes: 

Basking surface temperature: 90-95°F Cool zone temperature: 70-75°F

Ensure you use a thermostat with your heating setup for the safety of both your snake and yourself.

Western Hognose snakes require a moderate to low humidity environment. Most of the moisture they need is found underground, rather than in the air. A humidity range of 30-50% is ideal. Keep track of humidity levels with a digital hygrometer.

*Aspen-based substrates: To increase humidity, use a humid hide box with damp sphagnum moss.

*Soil/coco-based substrates: Mist the substrate directly to raise humidity.

Substrate preferences can vary, but western hognose snakes do well on both soil/coco-based substrates and aspen. Care methods may differ depending on your choice of substrate.

*Aspen-based substrates can make it harder to maintain humidity, but this can be overcome by adding a humid hide box with damp sphagnum moss.

*Soil/coco-based substrates retain moisture better, so you can directly mist them to raise humidity levels.

We use both types successfully, but aspen is easier to spot clean and maintain.

Within the enclosure, provide a hide box for your snake, along with a water bowl for hydration. You can also add fake plants, toilet paper rolls or other objects to occupy space and provide a surface for shedding 

Western hognoses are carnivorous, and while it was once believed that they mainly consumed amphibians in the wild, studies now suggest they are opportunistic feeders. They will eat a variety of prey, including rodents, ground-nesting birds (e.g., killdeer, quail), their eggs, lizards and other reptiles.

We feed our snakes frozen-thawed mice and will not sell a snake that is not consistently eating frozen-thawed prey. For hatchlings and juveniles, we feed pinky mice every 4-5 days, and adults get appropriately-sized prey every 7 days.

  Always keep a large, shallow bowl of fresh water in the enclosure. Change the water at least twice a week or whenever it becomes soiled. Clean the bowl with an animal-safe disinfectant such as chlorohexidine before refilling.

Handling your new snake should be an enjoyable experience. However, it’s important to remember that western hognose snakes can be jumpy at first. From the snake’s perspective, you’re a giant predator about to eat them. It’s not uncommon for them to hiss or bluff strike initially. This is nothing to worry about—they will quickly learn you are not a threat.

Handling Guidelines:

· Avoid handling your snake for 24 hours after feeding.

· Always sanitize your hands before and after handling the snake.

· When picking up your snake, slide your hand underneath It, offering a platform for it to rest on.

All of our baby hognoses are mite-free. However, if you house multiple reptiles, you may encounter mites at some point. It is crucial to understand that hognose snakes cannot be treated for mites in the same way as other reptiles. Do not use products like Provent-A-Mite or NO PEST STRIPS- these can be deadly to hognoses.

If you need to treat for mites, use Dawn dish soap and warm water. Get a small plastic tub and put about an inch of warm water in it, and add about 5 drops of dawn dish soap. Let your snake crawl around in the soapy water, the dawn will not harm the snake, and it disrupts the surface tension of the water, causing the mites to fall off and sink in the water. Treat the snake this way every other day for 2 weeks. I have only ever seen 1 product safe for hognoses and that was called “Reptile Spray” by Miracle Care, however this product is becoming very hard to find. 

The Western hognose snake is considered mildly venomous, but their venom (modified saliva) is not considered dangerous to humans. They have rear located fangs, which means they have to chew to inject venom. If you are bitten, simply lift the snake’s unique upturned nose scale to release it, similar to popping the top of a soda can. It’s worth noting that hognose snakes are not graceful feeders and often miss their target. For this reason, we recommend using tongs when feeding. Bites are uncommon and I have allowed my children to handle all of our snakes without any concern. They’ve even witnessed me being bitten (on purpose) to demonstrate how to handle such situations.

Thank you for showing interest in these fascinating snakes. We may be biased, but we believe western hognoses are the coolest snakes around. If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact us at hchognose@gmail.com

Thank you

Hill Country Hognoses