Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have an Eastern Hog that was caught about 3 years ago. he was almost a fluorescent yellow when first caught, but has darkened a little since then. i was wondering if this is normal. i trained him to eat scented rat pups. someone told me a while back that something in the toads they eat helps them maintain their bright colors. has anyone heard of this before? i appreciate any input.

greg in Virginia

I don't think it has anything to do with toads. Most easterns I have seen darken with age.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

I've seen very few hogs that brighten with age (I think someone on this forum has posted a series of photos documenting theirs). I know you've seen the orange and black eastern they have at the Va Living Museum, the Halloween Hog! Given the greater abundance of melanistic easterns in Va than any other color form, and the fact that all of those are eating plenty of toads and still turning black, I'd have to say this yet another baseless tale.
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Virginia Herping
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VaHS
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"The irrational fear of snakes is the only excuse a grown man has... to act like a complete sissy" - Colchicine

Greg, My name is Gregg North. I live in Culpeper VA. Back in the 80's I had an albino eastern hognose my friend caught in Fairfax. I got it to eat mice. One has to be careful doing this because the higher protein in mice can cause a build up of uric acid which can be fatal. As far as color goes, I find two vitamin productwork well. Both supply vit D3 which is produced by exposure to UV in the wild. One is Avitron and the other in Linatone. A pin head's amount on the feed item once a month should do it.

Gregg

hey! thanks for the helpful info and advice.

greg