Hognoses have a unique husbandry and require patience to maintain proper health. For this reason, I do not recommend this snake for the beginning keeper. I monitor and nurture my Easterns daily to ensure they will remain healthy and well-nourished, maintaining a clean, tension-free and properly ambient environment. Though Eastern Hognoses are rewarding pets, I advise not overly handling them.

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Nourishment

By nature, Eastern Hognose snakes eat toads, frogs, or an occasional small salamander. However, as these food preferences aren’t always readily available in captivity, I get my newly hatched babies started on scented mouse pinkies at the earliest age possible.

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It is very important to freeze all toads and frogs for at least three weeks to kill any internal parasites that would otherwise be transferred to the snake. There are several ways to scent a frozen/thawed rodent. Some thaw them out together in a small amount of water. My preferred method to rub the mouse’s head into the mouth of the frozen/thawed amphibian – there is just something about that saliva that seems to entice the Hognose’s appetite.

 

After a couple of initial meals of baby toads or tree frogs, I feed my babies one frozen/thawed scented pinkie every three to four days. Once they are big enough to eat “fuzzies”, I feed them one or two every five days, scenting as needed. Sub-adults eat one unscented hopper weekly and my adults eat one to two small adult mice, depending on their size, once a week. Never offer a Hognose live mice which will only frighten the snake and possibly harm it if the mouse counter-attacks. Hognoses should not be overfed.

 

It may take patience and persistence in the beginning but, once they start taking unscented rodents, feeding is usually pretty simple. The best method for feeding an Eastern is to allow it to approach the food item rather than vice versa. I slowly offer the food with a steady hand via tongs in its line-of-sight from the front of the cage, allowing the snake to hone in on it. The key is to not shake or jiggle the item, or they will retreat. Once the snake is eating consistently, I just leave it for them eat at their leisure on top of a recycled plastic lid.

 

I choose to feed my Easterns hairless mice (available at Rodent Pro), although I have also fed mice with fur for years without problems. I’ve heard unfounded myths that Easterns cannot digest fur, however, I have never witnessed a negative impact on my snakes. I have raised Easterns on both all-amphibian and all-rodent diets with excellent results either way. My rodent-eating females lay full, fertile clutches every year regardless of whether they are eating frozen/thawed toads or mice. I have recently discovered a new “sausage” snake-food product online, made from both frogs and mice, which may become a feasible option for Hognose owners, as well.

 

Occasionally, the stress of shipping, temperature changes or human over-stimulation and -handling may induce Eastern Hognoses to become finicky or to revert to their innate eating habits. For this reason, it is imperative to have frozen frogs or toads on hand to use as interim food or to again scent the mice until the snake feels secure enough to resume its rodent-only diet.

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An Ideal Habitat

I have found that housing Eastern Hognoses in tubs is far superior to aquariums to maintain proper heat, humidity – between 50-60% – and ventilation levels. I recommend an ambient temperature between 78 and 82 degrees with a belly-heat source in the mid-80s on one side of the cage, leaving a cool side on the other. To ventilate the tub, melt or drill small holes a couple of inches apart into the tub. I monitor their heat and humidity levels closely throughout the day. Easterns require a regimented 12-hour day and 12-hour night schedule, achieved by providing alternative light (not heat) sources.

 

Easterns require daily care, which includes keeping their cages spot-cleaned and their water dishes (which are preferably large enough to allow them to soak) unsoiled. I wipe down the dish and change their water every day, which helps to prevent their drinking water from becoming contaminated. If this is suspected, treat the animal with liquid Flagyl, obtained from a veterinarian, which I have found to be highly effective.

 

Hognoses should have a comfortable substrate, such as aspen bedding or pre-packaged soil, which will allow them to burrow. (Do not use cedar chips because they can kill the snake!) I also provide a dark hide-spot, which provides privacy, particularly during shed-times.

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© Kevin Fisher, 2016