Hognoses are famous for their anti-predator defense of flipping onto the back, tongue lolling, and playing dead. If turned upright, they'll flip back over, for of course a dead snake must lay upon its back. However, acclimated captives rarely exhibit this behavior and are more likely to flatten the neck into a cobralike "hood", hiss and strike (closed mouthed) if startled.
I have had my female Western Hognose, Grublin, for four and a half years. I adopted my male, Hezekiah, after he was on loan to me to try breeding the two. Both snakes are very tame once removed from their cages, although each of them can make quite a show of hissing and puffing before I pick them up. Despite the fact that I have aquired many other wonderful and beautiful snakes, Grublin, with her her mellow personality and unique physical characteristics, continues to be my favorite.
Although Western Hognose snakes are rear-fanged venomous, this is nothing to worry about. Firstly, the enlarged teeth are located so posteriorly in the jaw that you'd just about have to have your finger down the snake's throat to be punctured. Secondly, the salivary secretions of this snake are not very potent as far as humans are concerned. The primary function of the toxic secretions is to subdue toads as they are being swallowed and they are rather ineffective on anything much larger. In fact, it is believed that the primary function of the enlarged teeth is really to puncture and deflate toads.
Captively bred Western Hognose snakes have docile temperaments. Although they may hiss and strike when startled or first approached, they strike with a closed mouth, so there is little risk of being bit. As soon as the snake is picked up, you'll find it's all bluff; the snake imediately relaxes and begins to crawl around and explore. Western Hognoses constantly search for a place to burrow into, so don't be startled to feel one pushing its hard snout between your fingers, seeking a suitable crevice to wedge itself into.
Since Western Hognose snakes are relatively small, a simple ten gallon terrarium will suffice. A heat lamp placed at one end of the terrarium should be used to provide a daytime temperature of 80 F. A bedding that allows for burrowing will make your hognose more secure and comfortable. I use aspen, but pine and even corn cob can be effective. Never use cedar shavings since cedar is toxic. Also, be sure that your snake does not ingest bedding while eating (especially corn cob, which can expand in the snake's stomach and impact it!). I move my snakes into clean sweater boxes for feeding. Clean water should be available at all times, and a hidebox will be appreciated, especially at night. I recommend that hognose snakes be housed individually, as snakes have been reported to be part of the hognose's diet.
In the wild, Western Hognose Snakes feed primarily on toads, which they root up with their shovel-like snouts. Frogs, salamanders, lizards, snakes, turtles, and reptile eggs are also included in the diet. Fortunately, most captive bred specimens will feed on mice, pinkies as neonates up through full-grown mice as adults. I recommend feeding juveniles two times per week and adults about once per week. Western Hognose snakes often require a hibernation period and will go off feed on their own any time from October to December. In this case, do not panic -- after a 6-8 week hibernation, your snake will likely resume its normal feasting. A few Western Hognose will be stubborn feeders their whole lives, bringing much grief to their owners. My best advice is to avoid this scenario by purchasing a well-established captive or a baby that has reliably eaten several pink mice prior to purchase.
Western Hognoses are easily sexed by tail length. Males have tails which are clearly much longer, compared to body size, than those of females. Grublin is about six inches longer than Hezekiah, but their tails are nearly of equal length. If you don't trust this technique, probing is also a realiable method for sexing hognoses.
In order to simulate spring and stimulate breeding, Western Hognose snakes, like many North American colubrids, require a six to eight week hibernation period. For the males, the lower temperatures may be required for proper sperm development. I stop feeding my snakes at least two weeks prior to hibernation, allowing them to empty their digestive tracts. Then I move each into a sweater box with aspen bedding and a small water dish. I rubber band the box tightly shut, place it in a closet in a cool room, and cover it over to keep it dark. In the wild, a snake would spend its hibernation underground, perhaps in a rodent's burrow, where there would be no day-night cues. The temperature for hibernation should be between 55 and 59 F, and hibernating snakes should be gently checked and given clean water every week or so. If a hibernating snake is becoming thin or is exhibiiing any sign of illness, especially respiratory problems, it should be slowly brought up to normal temperatures and treated immediately. If course, only healthy snakes should be hibernated in the first place. After six to eight weeks, the hibernating snakes should be slowly warmed up. First, I remove the cover and keep the closet door open for two days. Next I put my snakes into their normal tanks, but with all heating elements turned off. After another day or two, I turn the heating apparatus back on. After another three to four days, I offer food.
Once the snakes are reeding well and the female has had four or so meals, the snakes can be introduced. Carefully observe the interaction of the snakes, especially if your male is significantly smaller than your female, as she may try to eat him! Frequently, if a female is interested in mating, she will indicated this by thrashing her tail back and forth.
When I introduced Grublin and Hezekiah, she seemed interested, but he didn't respond. Finally, I gave up and kept the two together for several weeks. I kept them both well fed during this period to avoid cannabalism. After several weeks, the male can be removed, or a couple of days after copulation if you observe it.
I never did see my snakes mate, and because Grublin was so fat before breeding, it was hard to tell that she was gravid. In most females, however, you should be able to notice a swelling of the abdomen. Several days before egg-laying, Grublin indicated her condition: she became very restless and was constantly burrowing in her cage. This was my big clue. I removed Hezekiah and put a nest box into Grublin's cage. I use a medium-sized round plastic food storage container with a 1 1/2" diameter hole cut out of the lid. I fill the container 3/4 full will damp sphagnum moss. Grublin soon found the box and burrowed right in. Hognoses lay from five to twenty-five eggs, with ten being an average count.
In July of 1996, Grublin layed 16 eggs which I promptly removed for incubation. I left the nest box in her cage for several more days, just in case any eggs remained.
Eggs should be incubated at 78-82 F and take about six weeks to hatch. A commercial incubator or a homemade set-up can be used. I have even incubated eggs in a plastic shoebox place on a heat pad, after carefully testing the temperature settings. I use vermiculite and water (50:50 by weight) as my incubation media.
Grublin's first clutch of eggs, unfortunately, all died due to arriving at a bad time. Because I was moving, they were left all alone for a full week. Perhaps they dried out or maybe they overheated. Luckily, hognoses can store sperm and Grublin layed a second clutch of 15 eggs in September.
Ten of Grublin's second clutch of eggs began to hatch after 45 days of incubation. Instead of hatching all at once, the clutch continued to hatch over a five day period. One infertile egg had long since gone bad. The other eggs, when later opened, appeared to have well-developed snakes in them but they were dead. I still don't know why this happened.
As the young snakes hatched, I moved them from the incubator to individual deli cups with aspen bedding and PVC end caps for water dishes. Neonate hognose shed immediatedly upon hatching, so they are ready right away for their first meal.
Most neonates will feed readily on pink mice, with many taking even the first one pre-killed. However, in a clutch of ten, usually there will be one or two snakes that simply don't seem to recognize mice as food. In this case, other measures should be taken. Some methods onclude splitting open a pink's head to expose the brain (which smells so tasty!), rubbing a toad on the pink to "scent" it, or even providing alternate prey such as small toads or lizards. Grublin's clutch included three picky eaters, and I am still working with them, trying to teach them to eat. I have great hopes for them -- all their siblings are ravenous and growing!
Written for "Behind BAARS" February 1997
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