Posted by:
captainjack0000
at Mon Jan 14 21:41:45 2013 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by captainjack0000 ]
Hello,
I have tried reading care sheets and various threads on this forum and using the search function, but I have not been able to find answers to what seem like straight forward questions.
A bit about my setup. I don't have one yet. I don't even have a hognose snake yet either. I am however not new to snake keeping. I have successfully kept corns, milks, a king, a couple of watersnakes, a ribbon snake, and a ball python.
I think every care sheet I have found regarding western hognoses says that a warm spot in the upper 80s or low 90s should be available, and that the cool side should be "room temperature". What temperature should the cool side be at?
I ask because I live I Florida and 85% of the time my home is around 80-82F during the day, and 74-76F at night. Sometimes it gets even cooler at night, but nothing below 68F. Given these ambient air temperatures, what sort of heating arrangement would you provide?
I found a Journal of Herpetology article that found free ranging wild eastern hognoses had a mean temperature of about 28C (82F). Any good reasons why I should't aim for that temperature in my gradient? Say 90F on one side, and 74F on the other? Maybe a slightly warmer cool side during the day?
Are there any serious dangers with keeping a female hognose in a 15 gal tank (24"x12"x12" )? What about a male? Would it be comfortable in that size of tank?
Any other worthwhile advice, such as:
They go off feed in the winter
They enjoy watching soap operas during the day
They can be picky eaters and offering someting other than a mouse may lead to a total conversion to the new prey item
They should have substrate to burrow though at all times
They don't like being called insulting names
They should be fed x% of their body weight while growing
An adult can comfortably be fed one adult mouse (25-30g) once a week as a maitenence diet
They have insecurities about being called "heavy-bodied" snakes
Don't mess around with heat lamps, UTH is the best way to go
Or you know, general advice about Heterodon nasicus
[ Hide Replies ]
 Questions from a Newb - captainjack0000, Mon Jan 14 21:41:45 2013
|
