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I need some advice & help! Hognose related

I don't think she's a bad person, but her care was certainly lacking and it's easy enough to Google how to properly care for these snakes. I'd endeavor to find a pet toad for scenting before it gets too cold. Best wishes.


(and I can't determine gender from that photo, fwiw)
 
Mari said:
I don't plan on it. She's not a bad person, she keeps other exotic pets (like 11 tarantulas and a tortoise) and is an animal person - I'm just going to explain I'm going to take the money she would have charged me and put it in to keeping the animal alive, which is the most important thing to me, and should be, for her.

When she posted it in our community group, she said "sell or give to a knowledgeable person" so I'm sure she'll just let me take him so he doesn't die.
Click to expand...

That's an excellent idea!

I really hope she gives him up. Good for you for taking him on. I think you'll do just fine :) Like Chip said, it's easy enough to look up their care online! Plus you have some snake experience already!
 
So, good news everyone - I got the snake, free of charge. :) She agreed it was best for the animal & that I would be giving it the best care possible.

I set him up in a small locking plastic tub with lots of ventilation holes. It's got a generous amount of bedding, some water, some vines, and plenty of hides on either end. I'm using a small personal heating pad that's being rigorously monitored but it's staying at just about 86, which is fantastic. I'm going to be transferring him to a 5 or a 10 gallon small small small glass cage as soon as I can, but for now, this is where he needs to stay - - UNLESS anyone is aware of if I can put a UTH + thermostat on plastic like this. I'm afraid of it melting. :x

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I couldn't get any tail shots this time, but he's very plump & active - he flicks his tongue a lot and is very inquisitive. He is also not very hand shy.. when I had to move him, I was able to coax him on to my finger to get in his new cage. He did, however, take a teeeeny nibble out of my finger! Lol. But it wasn't teeth or anything, and I'm fine. He's very, very, very tiny. I'm probably going to have to feed him cut pinkies.


Oh, and I hate to horrify you guys, but this is what she had set up for him.....

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It had no water, was warmed by a very hot bulb, and was in the middle of the living room with two loud birds and a bearded dragon no more than 3 feet away. Poor thing probably hasn't relaxed for a SECOND. I set him up in his new little place, and he's curled up hiding and relaxing and god I'm so happy he's in a better home. :p

Speaking of the no water - when I first brought him home, I gave him a bottlecap with some water in it, and he gulped it for a solid minute. His eyes are a little sunken in too - I bet he was seriously dehydrated. Poor thing. :(
 
From the looks of the relative size vs what little of tail length I could see, I'd say it's a male. 9x out of 10 you can visibly sex hogs right out of egg.

I bred hoggies consistently from 2001-2004. My animals usually paired late in the season, which typically resulted in eggs hatching in Sept or Oct. I'd give everyone chances to eat about 2 weeks after hatching (hoggies are little fatties when they hatch) to digest their absorbed egg yolks. Afterwards food trials were on day old f/t pinks. After 2 weeks, if not eating, moved to live. If still no luck after 2 weeks, off to scenting via toads or lizards. By this time, if not eating, it's usually middle Dec. I'd pull heat, place at room temp and start cycling for brumation. By Jan 1 I'd have animals out to the garage. Come March, I'd cycle them (hoggies) up to room temp at 1 week, then back to heat by 2nd week.

Something to keep in mind is that these guys, at least here in NM are generally early to mid morning active, and when I've found them in the field it's pushing upper 80s to about 90°F. This in mind, I heat my hoggies at 88-90 for basking, both plains and Mexican hogs.

So...by mid March babies are up to temp, and first meals of the new year are offered. In those 4 seasons of breeding plains hogs I NEVER had a baby refuse a meal after brumation, all taking f/t.

Now my Mexican hogs...those babies have driven me mad.
 
Has she actually kept him for three weeks without water????!!!!!

I've used heat mats/thermostats with faunariums and other plastic boxes with no problems - they shouldn't melt until way higher than you keep the snake.

Hognoses can take a hot spot a bit higher than corns.

Not sure if you should take other measures to combat dehydration but that might stress him more - will leave that to the experts ... maybe a bigger water bowl so he can soak? dunno just idea. The size of the box looks fine as he is tiny. Hope he eats for you. You have no way of knowing he may be hungry and have no eating issues at all except having a moron for a previous owner!
 
I'd be less worried about a UTH on a thermostat than a human heating pad which isn't meant to run indefinitely. People who travel with snakes take a UTH/thermostat, plug it in, and set the ends of the travel containers on it. Think about it- every rack has plastic on flexxwatt or heat cable, with a thermostat.

Well, I'm happy the baby is with you now. Just do what Chip says and you should be okay.
 
Hi guys :) Update on the little hoggie.

He's doing really well! He's hiding in his little box, and has only moved a few inches - but mostly stays on his warm side. He's been without correct belly heat for 3 weeks :( poor thing. I've been monitoring him and leaving him alone (no touching, just visual inspections & replacing water) once a day, and he's doing really well. He used to be erratic (running his nose into everything) but now when he wakes up he usually just looks around and maybe re-coils up.

I'm really excited for him to eat, but I don't want to rush anything (obviously). I was thinking about waiting until he goes into "hunt" mode like my corn does - looking all around the viv and being a little more active. Do hognoses do that too? I figured they did, their caresheets/behavior seems fairly similar.

And Nanci, the heating pad was just temporary until I knew if the plastic would be okay. It's pretty thick plastic but I just wanted to be sure. 0:)
 
my two hog noses are pretty active - always roaming round the vivs.

if it was me - and I'm not an expert so pls bear that in mind - I would probably wait a couple more days leaving him in peace, and then quietly slip a scented pinkie into the viv in a toilet roll with end folded up.

And then don't peek for a good few hours or overnight.

It shouldn't really stress him if you do it like that - he will either eat or not.

Don't dangle it or make a fuss, just put it in.

Just MO. Good luck. Poor little dude.
 
That's absolutely the plan Iulia. I want to hopefully wait for him to be a little active & responsive, and then hopefully I can offer him when he's calm & ready for food.

By the way, should I cut the pinkie? He's sooo tiny, and my pinkies aren't extra-small.
 
They have pretty big mouths for their size - mine were 8g when I got them and had no problems with a pinkie ...
 
Same! I'm going to attempt a first feeding on Thursday night - I'll probably plop in the pinkie (scented) at around 11pm.

I also have a feeder fish that the person who owned the hognose gave me - I considered offering that, but the thing is teeny (and probably going to die soon) and I have no idea what kind of fish it is or where she got it... so I might just get rid of it. :c


As for scenting, I was going to try tuna because it's the easiest for me to obtain, but I can ask the local petstore if they have any toads/frogs/etc I could.. borrow some scent from? haha
 
yeah.. I really wouldn't feed that poor fish!:(
feeder fish arnt even good for fish to eat, usually their full of paracites.

so I would definitely NOT feed it to my snake...
 
Thanks - yeah, I feel so bad for this snake. Good thing he didn't eat it when the girl offered it before! Agh, I feel so bad for him. He's such a cutie.


While I'm free and thinking about it, I wasn't sure if the little dude was dehydrated, but he sure looks it. His skin was very, very rough. To be fair, I've only ever handled balls, my corn and my crested, but they're all pretty smooth... He's somewhat dull, but he's the first hog I've seen in person, so I have no basis for comparison, other than pictures. His eyes are also sunken in. He could have just been blue, though. Any thoughts on that?

I plan on making him a spaghnum moss hide tonight, just in case he's shedding soon.
 
their skin is quite rough and dry compared to corns, and esp when they are shedding.

The moss is a good idea, and perhaps a bowl big enough to soak. He might be shedding, but he must have been pretty dehydrated also.

(I still can't get my head round an animal keeper not thinking it might actually need WATER!)

I found the juice from tinned salmon good, and chicken skin.

Please keep us posted
 
I know, right...? How could you not give him water... :S

I'm worried she was maybe misting him? But.. god.

I'll grab tinned salmon at the store and try feeding on Thursday.

And I'll make the moss hide & put in a biggest water bowl for him to soak in if he so chooses. :3
 
Yep! I have a spare one I'm about to put in. Hopefully he'll know if he needs it and get in if he wants.

Are hognoses more prone to soaking? I've never seen my corn soak, but if I rewet his spaghnum hide he ducks in there as soon as I leave the room. haha
 
Mari said:
Are hognoses more prone to soaking?
Click to expand...

Not necessarily, but they can have bad sheds if the humidity isn't right - was just thinking really that IF he is shedding, and IF he is dehydrated, this way you provide anything he MIGHT need and hopefully avert any possible problems.
 
Good point. :) A little bit after I put the water dish in, he checked it out - nose bumped it a little - and then went back to hiding on the heat mat. So we'll see if he uses it.

Thanks for all the help guys. I'm so worried about this little guy, I hardly leave the house for more than 5 hours. haha
 
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