Western Hognose Snake Caresheet
Scientific Name: Heterodon nasicus
Size: 24-36 Inches
Lifespan: 15 years
Housing
The cage size requirements for a Hognose Snakes depends on snake size and gender. Babies and juveniles seem to do best in smaller enclosures- around 10 gallons but should be moved into a larger enclosure once they start putting on size.
Our adult/sub-adult females are housed in 40-gallon bioactive enclosures. The substrate we use in these setups are a soil/coconut fibre mix seeded with isopods, springtails, and live plants. While there are many options available for substrate, whatever is chosen should be deep enough to allow for burrowing – aspen shavings are great for this! Adult/Sub-adult males can be kept in smaller enclosures, but we won’t use anything smaller than a 20 gallon.
Multiple hides should be provided on both the hot and cool sides of the enclosure, and as with most snakes, Hognose should be housed alone.
Temperature, Lighting and Humidity
Our hognose enclosures are heated with ceramic heat emitters on a thermostat that keep the warm end of the tank at 90F and the cool end closer to 75F-80F. All out temps are verified daily using infrared heat gun.
We do not use UVA/UVB lighting for our snakes but do have a full spectrum Sunblaster LED light set on a timer to stimulate a day/night cycles and benefit the plants in the enclosure.
Western Hognose are more tolerant of some humidity then many believe them to be. As burrowing species, they naturally expose themselves to higher humidity environments underground with much of their natural range seeing average humidity levels of 40-60%. While no additional misting is required (for non-bioactive tanks) and the snake can be kept on dry substrate, they may appreciate a humid hide during a shed.
Feeding
In the wild Hognose are opportunistic feeders that will hunt down a variety of different prey items, with amphibians being a top choice. However, in captivity, mice are the easiest and safest prey item.
All our Hognose snakes are fed frozen/thawed mice of the appropriate size – no bigger than the widest part of the body. Hatchlings and juveniles are fed twice a week and adults only once if not breeding. Live prey is not recommended for Hognose as they can easily be injured by a live prey item.
Handling
Despite the fact Hognose Snakes are harmless Colubrids, they are also rear-fanged and considered mildly venomous. A person sensitive to animal bites and stings should exercise caution when handling.
Hognose snakes are very reluctant biters but can become quite defensive if not accustomed to handling. This defense involves loud hissing, bluff strikes, and if all else fails – feigning death. Snakes should not be handled within 48 hours of feeding to prevent regurgitation.
Disclaimer: The above information is based on our own experience and what works for us. We realize there’s more than one way to properly care for a Hognose Snake and always recommend checking multiple trustworthy sources when finding out what will work for you.