Feeding Guide for Hognose Snakes

(450 Words)
Hognose snakes consist of several types including the Western Hognose (Heterodon Nasicus), Eastern Hognose (Heterodon Platyrhinos) and Southern Hognose (Heterodon Simus). According to the Long Island Herpetological Society, the Western species is the most common type to be kept as a pet. When these animals are kept in captivity, they need sufficient nutrition for proper growth and development. The following feeding guide will help you take care of your pet.
Hognose snakes are heavily carnivorous and need a great deal of meat. In their natural habitat, they often eat toads, but when looking for one for a pet, find one that will eat mice for convenience. For snakes that resist mice, a pet owner can perform “scenting.” In this process, you will rub a mouse against a live or dead toad so that it will take on some of the smell of the toad and be more appealing to the hognose snake.
Pet owners will often start baby hognose snakes on pinkie mice. For a hatchling, you can start with the food in a small deli cup so that it is easy for the snake to focus on its food.
Your baby snake may want live prey, but you are going to want to get the snake accustomed to eating dead prey. This is for many different reasons. First, it is safer for the snake. There are parasites that can affect the snake in live prey. Freezing the prey kills these. Also, live prey can hurt hognose snakes because they are not constrictors and may have trouble overpowering the prey. It is also better for the pet owner since frozen prey is typically much cheaper, can easily be purchased at many pet stores and allows you to avoid watching two animals “fight it out.”
The type, size and amount of mice you give to your hognose snake will change as it grows. It may move to fuzzies, crawlers, small mice, medium mice and even adult mice for larger snakes. You want to avoid serving food that is too big, especially in hatchlings. The food should be no larger than one and a half times the girth of the snake in its middle. You can always feed several smaller items rather than one larger one.
Hognose snakes will generally digest food for a few days thus it is best to avoid handling them for one to two days after feeding. Hatchlings may eat anywhere between two times a week and once every ten days. Adults eat every one to two weeks. Female snakes that are breeding may be fed more often.
With proper care and feeding, your hognose snake can grow correctly. Bring up any concerns about feeding with your veterinarian.