Hognose Snakes Make Great Pets: a Guide to Caring for These Quirky Snakes (2024)

This site is supported by our readers. We may earn a commission, at no cost to you, if you purchase through links.

Hognose snakes absolutely make great pets! These quirky reptiles boast a docile temperament and adorable upturned snouts.

With proper housing, substrate, and hides, their care is relatively straightforward. A varied diet of whole prey items like rodents and amphibians fuels their carnivorous needs.

Early socialization allows for gentle handling and observing hilarious behaviors like "playing dead."

While generally healthy, watch for respiratory issues or mites. Western species can live up to 20 years with attentive care.

If this charming snake intrigues you, you’ll want to explore their unique appeal further.

Do Hognose Snakes Make Good Pets?

Yes, hognose snakes make great pets. They’ve a generally docile temperament and are considered beginner-friendly snakes to care for.

Gentle Temperament

Hognose snakes boast an irresistibly docile nature, making them an excellent choice for budding snake enthusiasts.

Their unique "play dead" behavior and adorable upturned snouts add character.

While their small size and diurnal habits make them low-maintenance pets.

Though technically venomous, their venom poses no threat to humans.

These burrowing masters entertain with hilarious hissing fits before calming down, allowing you to appreciate their stunning coloration up close.

Hognose snakes’ gentle dispositions create unforgettable bonds with their owners.

Housing Requirements

When it comes to housing hognose snakes, providing an appropriately sized enclosure is essential. A single hognose snake can thrive in a 20-30 gallon tank or equivalent enclosure, equipped with a secure, ventilated lid, and filled with a substrate that allows for burrowing, such as a mix of cypress mulch and play sand.

Enclosure Size

You’ll need an enclosure no smaller than a 20-gallon tank for one hognose snake. Larger is better, especially for housing multiple snakes or providing a humidity gradient. Ensure ample basking area size and consider under-tank heating for creating thermal zones matching your snake’s needs. Proper Enclosure dimensions cater to these quirky pets’ burrowing instincts.

Substrate

You’ll want a substrate that allows for natural burrowing behavior. Try a mix of:

1. Coconut fiber or cypress mulch
2. Play sand (calcium-free)
3. Topsoil or reptile soil
4. Sphagnum moss for humidity pockets

The substrate should be 2-4 inches deep and spot-cleaned regularly. Monitor humidity levels and modify the bedding mix as needed. Proper substrate is key for these burrowing pet snakes.

Hides and Decor

You’ll need at least two secure hides for your hognose, one on the warm side and one on the cool side. Hides should be tight-fitting so your burrowing snake feels secure. Provide enrichment like branches, plants, and dig boxes filled with burrowing substrate to encourage natural behaviors.

Decor Item	Purpose
Cork bark	Hide, decor
Live plants	Enrichment, naturalistic
Dig box	Encourage burrowing

Feeding Habits

Hognose snakes are carnivores that primarily consume rodents, such as mice and rats, in captivity. For proper feeding, you should provide appropriately sized, pre-killed prey items, with adults consuming mice/rats every 7-10 days and juveniles being fed more frequently, every 5-7 days.

Prey Items

You’ll want to feed your hognose a varied diet of whole prey items, including:

• Rodents (frozen mice/rats appropriately sized)
• Amphibians (appropriately sized frogs/toads)
• Insects (crickets, roaches, mealworms)
• Eggs (quail or finch eggs)

  Be sure to source prey legally and avoid feeding venomous prey. Whole prey replicates their natural diet and provides complete nutrition. A diverse diet promotes longevity in these quirky, gentle snakes.

Feeding Schedule

You’ll want to feed baby hognose snakes every 5-7 days with appropriately sized mice or Frog Micro/Mini links.

Adults can eat larger prey like adult mice or small rats every 1-2 weeks.

Vary their diet with calcium/vitamin supplements and hydrating aids like Frog Juice.

A varied, nutritious diet combined with proper feeding frequency promotes lifelong health for these low-maintenance, venomous-but-harmless snakes that make great pets.

Handling and Interaction

Hognose snakes can make great pets due to their generally docile temperament, but they do require proper socialization from a young age. Their iconic "playing dead" behavior, characterized by rolling onto their backs and gaping their mouths, may appear alarming to new owners at first but is merely a defensive bluff done to deter predators.

Socialization

With their docile nature, hognose snakes make excellent pets for socialization. Here are a few tips for successful handling:

1. Introduce handling gradually, starting with short sessions.
2. Provide enrichment like hides and climbing branches to reduce stress.
3. Avoid cohabitation, as hognoses can be territorial with conspecifics.

Regular, gentle handling helps these snakes become accustomed to human interaction. However, respect their prey preferences and never handle after feeding to prevent regurgitation. With patience and proper socialization techniques, hognoses bond closely with their owners.

Playing Dead Behavior

You’ll witness hognose snakes’ iconic "playing dead" behavior when threatened. They flatten their heads, writhe dramatically, and emit foul odors, mimicking death. This defensive posturing, triggered by olfactory cues and tongue flicking for prey identification, helps deter predators. While startling at first, you’ll soon find their act endearing.

Cue	Behavior	Purpose
Scent	Head flattening	Appear larger
Touch	Writhing	Mimic death throes
Sight	Foul odor	Deter predators

Health and Longevity

Hognose snakes are generally healthy reptiles when provided proper care. With appropriate housing conditions, diet, and habitat, they can reach impressive lifespans, with Western hognose snakes living up to 20 years in captivity.

Common Health Issues

Hognose snakes are generally hardy. However, respiratory infections from poor husbandry and mites from unsanitary conditions are common.

Obesity from overfeeding and mouth issues from aggressive feeding responses must be monitored.

With proper habitat setup mimicking their natural burrowing behavior and defensive strategies adapted for various North American environments, most health complications are avoidable.

Regularly inspect their scale patterns for irregularities indicating underlying concerns.

Lifespan

While hognose snakes have a relatively short wild lifespan of 5-9 years, their captive longevity is impressive. With proper care, you can expect your hognose to live:

• Western species: Up to 20 years
• Eastern/Southern species: 10-15 years

Factors like diet, habitat, and genetic makeup greatly influence a hognose’s lifespan. Their mild venom potency and small size mean they face fewer risks in captivity. By replicating their ideal conditions, providing appropriate food, and minimizing stress, you’ll maximize your snake’s quality of life and longevity.

Species Variations

When considering hognose snakes as pets, it’s important to understand the different species available. The three main species are the Western hognose (Heterodon nasicus), found in parts of the United States and Mexico; the Eastern hognose (Heterodon platirhinos), native to the eastern United States; and the Southern hognose (Heterodon simus), residing in the southeastern United States.

Western Hognose

The western hognose snake, with its upturned snout for digging, makes an engaging pet. Although mildly venomous, their bite is harmless. Enjoying lifespans up to 20 years, they’re a popular choice due to their docile nature and adorable appearance, suitable even for novice reptile keepers.

Eastern Hognose

The eastern hognose, native to the eastern U.S., exhibits fascinating regional variations in coloration and patterning. During winter, they brumate to conserve energy. Their breeding season spans April to July, when males combat for mates through ritualized displays. Some captive-bred morphs showcase vibrant colors like albino, lavender, and ochre.

Southern Hognose

Moving on to the Southern hognose, these snakes are found in the southeastern U.S., primarily in Florida, Mississippi, and North Carolina. Their unique upturned snout allows for efficient burrowing in sandy soil. While not endangered, loss of habitat poses risks, making responsible captive breeding efforts essential for conservation.

Beginner Friendliness

Although hognose snakes are often touted as great beginner pets, their quirky behaviors like playing dead and defensive striking can intimidate newbies.

Don’t let their theatrics fool you—with patience and proper handling, these snakes make docile companions.

However, different species exhibit varying temperaments, so research their unique interaction quirks beforehand.

Providing appropriate enrichment and dispelling common misconceptions about aggression can help beginners successfully care for these peculiar yet endearing snakes.

Cost Considerations

The initial costs for setting up a hognose snake’s enclosure can be moderate, ranging from $200 to $500 depending on the size and quality of the setup. Ongoing expenses for food, substrate, and other supplies are relatively low, typically around $20 to $50 per month.

Initial Setup

To start your hognose snake’s home, you’ll need:

1. A 20-gallon vivarium or enclosure for one snake
2. Cypress mulch or aspen shavings as substrate
3. Hideaway spots like half-logs or cork bark rounds
4. Plants, branches, or decor to maintain a temperature gradient

Choose an appropriately sized vivarium, and outfit it with the proper substrate and hides. Decorations should create thermal zones from 85-90°F on the warm end to 70°F on the cool side. An inviting habitat is key for these quirky snakes.

Ongoing Expenses

After the initial setup, consider ongoing expenses like food, substrate, and enrichment. A bioactive enclosure requires upkeep but reduces maintenance. Regular health screenings and potential vet visits add costs. Enrichment items like climbing branches promote natural behaviors. Finally, pet insurance offers peace of mind for unexpected medical bills.

Item	Cost Range
Feeders	$5-$20/month
Substrate	$10-$30/year
Enrichment	$20-$100/year

Plan ahead for these recurring costs to guarantee proper hognose care.

Captive Breeding

As for captive breeding, it plays a vital role in maintaining genetic diversity and health within captive hognose populations. Breeders selectively pair snakes to:

1. Produce visually appealing morphs
2. Promote desired traits like docility
3. Eliminate genetic defects
4. Conserve threatened regional varieties

Responsible breeding efforts help guarantee a sustainable, genetically robust captive population. This supports the availability of healthy captive-bred hognoses while reducing pressure on wild populations.

Responsible Ownership

As a responsible hognose snake owner, you must understand legal regulations regarding ownership and comply with local laws.

Support conservation efforts by adopting from reputable sources or captive-bred stock.

Ethical considerations include providing enrichment activities, spacious enclosures, and appropriate care.

Consider adopting before purchasing to give a rescued snake a loving home.

Responsible ownership guarantees your snake’s well-being and contributes to the species’ protection.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)