Feeding

Feeding hognose snakes can be a little tricky sometimes because hognose have preferred prey species and specialized diet requirements.

Looking at an overview of the hognoses-all species-the main items eaten in the wild are todas and frogs. But most species will accept other things as well, Western Hognose will also eat small lizards and lizard eggs, salamanders,tadpoles, rodents, smaller snakes,bird eggs, ground nesting small birds, carrion and even fish. Easterns and Southern will also take salamanders, tadpoles, carrion, fish and occassionally small rodents. Leioheterodon (Madagascar Hognose) will take lizards,snakes, rodents -they seem especially fond of pink and fuzzy rats)-small birds and other reptile eggs. Lystrophis (South American Hognose) will take small rodents, lizards, smaller snakes, and salamanders.

For most people, any hognose that will take rodents is the preferred species as a pet. Westerns and Madagascar Hognose fit this requirement very well. These species may remain on rodents for life with no ill effects. Although I have no experience with South American Hognose-the information I have received suggests they also do well on a pure rodent diet. Only the Eastern and Southerns seem to need the amphibian part of thier diet. This means that if yu have an Eastern eating rodents-it is better for the overall health of the snake to add some frogs, toads, and salamanders to it's exsisting diet. How do you do this-catch or buy some amphibians and freeze them for about 60 to 90 days prior to feeding. They may be fed live amphibians but you will need to do more stool sampling for parasites.

There are 2 main reasons for the requirement of amphibians in these hognose species diets:

1. Rodents have a higer fat value and cause the snake to have large fat deposits around the heart and liver-which will eventually kill the snake. As specialized amphibian feeders, their bodies do not metabolize fat efficiently. (Fatty heart and liver disease) Rodent hair can be a problem for some adult hognose, many seem unable to digest this hair and it causes intestinal upset and reguritation.

2. Eastern hognose when given the variable diet have a higher fertility rate in breeding.

When feeding any prey item-choose the size appropriate for the snake, they can take some very large items without any harm, something to keep in mind. When feeding rodents, the snake does not need to eat more than once a week. If feeding amphibians, plan on twice weekly unless a very large meal is given such as 2 to 3 meduim to large toads or frogs.

One word of warning-only use amphibians that are native to the snake's home range.
---see feed warning page.

The next section below will deal with some feeding tricks for the picky eaters.

Now here's a feeding trick I use to get US hognose to take mice as well as other food tiems. This trick conditions the snakes to eat WHATEVER food item is offered-don't be afraid to switch food items and think that they willnot eat mice after they have tasted a toad. That is just NOT true. The "recipe" for amphibian and mouse soup follows: (yummy!!)

Get some frozen pinks and some frozen amphibians (you can buy them or freeze them yourself)-there should be a variety of amphibians in the mix-I use Red Back Salamanders, Dusky Salamanders, baby Pickeral frogs, Green and Wood frogs, (you can ad Spring Peepers, Green Trogs, etc) AVOID all foreign species.

Next you take out of the freezer a small portion of the mixed amphibians and a few pinks-amount depends on how many hognose you are feeding (larger mice or rat pups can be used when feeding large snakes-the less hair the better)-wash the rodents very well and rinse well. Thaw in the same container-in very warm tap water-NOT BOILING-the mixed amphibians and rodents-it is important to thaw them together. Use as little water as possible because you are going to present the whole bowl, drain off some water if necessary, (do not discard the water drained off-FREEZE it in s small container-it can be used for scenting later)

When the mixture is thoroughly thawed out -put the whole bowl in the tank with the snake-do not separate the snakes as they watch each other feed, the shyer ones will be stimulated to eat by watching the others.

You MUST monitor the feeding for several reasons:

1. To avoid or break up 2 snakes that have latched onto the same piece of food. 2. To ensure that all the snakes have eaten. 3. To find out which are the snakes that may to be fed by hand or forceps fed-meaning you may have to hold the food item fo r the snakes to eat it. Some hognose become very much like little bird chicks and insist their "parent" hold the food. Some will even sit with their mouths open waiting for you put the food in.
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