I found my first hognose in 1968 and have seen them across their range, from Az. to fla. and down into mexico.



But that means very little. In this case, all you have to do is read the books. And look at the animal.



You stated, "Naturalistic" means to you, what the animals do in nature. Sir that is what you said. naturalistic equals what is natural to them. Or better yet, what they natually use in nature.



So I am going by what you said. You then told of making a nice looking cage thats pretty much like a cage for any species(generalized) with rocks and branches and soil.



The actual point is, what are hogs, what are there adaptions and what are they for. Why do hogs have that nose. Why are they built like a brick shathouse.



A naturalistic cage is a cage that supports their natural abilities. If you support that, the snakes will teach you what they are, what they do and how they do it. If you give them objects that is foreign to them, you give them no ability to use their adaptions. therefore your naturalistic cage is of no value to the snake, and of little actual value to you. And all because you want rocks and branches.(a pretty cage)



Are there rocks and branches in hog habitat, I am sure there is, not on my site. But what are hogs adapted for???? is the real question.



Are they rock dwellers, use rock crevices, do they climb, do they live in trees. Is their prey in rocks or trees? Or is it in the ground?



If you want to learn about them, and want to setup and cage thats natural to them(naturalistic) Then its common sense that you support what they do, and that is to dig, burrow, use other burrows. Down below Gregg stated this well. Please read what he posted.



And yes, you can keep them anyway you want. How you keep them will effect what you learn from them. What you learn from them is your choice.



Where I get into conflicts is, keepers that set up whatever species in ways totally foreign to the animal, they say, my animals do not do what you say. Of course they don't, you the keeper did not give the animal the ability to do what it knows how to do. enough of this.



I have to ask you a question, In nature, there are areas of different habitats/mirco-habitats in the basic areas. And normally there are many species occuring in those areas, some around the water, some at the edge, some in the trees and bushes, and some away from the water. Some live in the ground. how the heck do they know where to go?



Why don't hogs climb trees and eat treefrogs. Or the opposite, why don't greensnakes go down burrows in treeless praries. You get the picture. Enough of this.



The truth is, I do not want to you believe me or do anything I say, I want you to do what you want. So how about setting up two cages, one with lots of sandy soil, some decent depth, with various choices of temperature and humidity. And one with rocks and stuff. My bet is, the hogs will do down in the dirt and you will rarely see them(the drawback) As thats how they live. There are ways to work this to your advantage.



Anyway, I am only trying to help you, get to where you want to go. So please keep posting.



I have a pair of hogs set up in a four foot long cage, with a fair amount of aspen/pine shavings. AT this time. Once I learn their base behaviors and choices, I am going to add more and more substrate of a natural type. First I am going with nesting type substrate, sand coco stuff mix. Then move to whats more natural to them. I can cheat, I know exactly where they came from and the soils they use.



Consider, my "picture" the picture in my mind, is a hognose in SITU. Not on a price list. Cheers

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Some rocks and branches i put in one of my cages

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