Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok well on sunday, I got my first Wesatern hognose, which is also my first snake. A friend of mine got it in New york while at a pet show for me. It is a hatching, about 6 inches long, and is beautiful( his whole belly is almost eniterly black except for near his vent(( right word?)) ). I think it may even have a hint of red phase because its much more colorful than most of the ones i have seen on the internet( really brown... could the color just be a thing that happens when they are young, like tree boas?). Anyway, i've tried to feed it very small pinkies twice and it wont eat. It could just not be hungry( breeder could have fed it), but I am wondering when should I get worried, and what should i do if it gets to a time like this? I have read people having them go 2 weeks, even a month without eating. Also, do you guys have any helpful hints and stuff? Unfortunatly, toads will be immpossible for me to get unless purchase them from a pet store( which I dont not want to have to end up doing). I have read to soak them in tuna http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1114341,1114497 . If I do this, or somehow toad sent them, will they get hooked strictly on that, or will they learn to eat regular pinkies? Any tips would be helpful. THanks in advance.

Scenting is not as bad as it sounds and most of the time does not last forever...

I have had the same 4 frozen house geckos in a ziplock bag for 2 years...

If i need to scent a pinky to get a snake to feed i just defrost a pinky and put it in the ziplock with the geckos for a minute...

After a few feedings i stop scenting and the snake usually takes the unscented pink.. if not i scent the pinky and try again next time..

~ Mike Russo

I noticed you said you got it on Sunday and have already tried to feed it twice. Since today is Teusday I'll guess that you haven't really given it a week to settle in. Don't worry I do the same thing every time I get new snakes too. Guess I just can't wait to make sure that they are feeding.

I would leave him/her alone for a few days with a nice hide or two and proper temperatures. The set a defrosted and warmed pinky just outside, or even part way into, the snakes favorite hide. Then leave and come back in a few hours. If that doesn't work after 2-3 tries then I would start working with a few tricks. Also do you know if he/she is supposed to be feeding on unsented pinks? That is did your friend ask the breeder/seller?

Ok well i am going to give it time to acclamate, settle down, and lose some stress. i acutally figured out that he is 2 months old, so he has to have eaten something before. If i cant get to unscented, i am going to go buy a fire belly toad and try scenting it witht hat. ALso, is it normal for the entire bottom to be black ( except at the vent ) when they are young? All of the pictures i have seen, the obttoms are black, with bits of yellow and stuff. Maybe ill post some pics of it later.

i acutally figured out that he is 2 months old, so he has to have eaten something before.

Hatchling snakes can live for 6 months or even a year without eating, so you can't assume it has eaten.

I wouldn't try any scenting or anything drastic for at least two or three weeks. Let it settle in for a week and then offer it a f/t pinkie or fuzzy.

If it refuses a couple of those, then get a toad or treefrog and try scenting a pinkie. It should take that.
I wouldn't get a fire-bellied toad. The problem is they may not smell enough like the amphibians they expect.

is it normal for the entire bottom to be black ( except at the vent ) when they are young? All of the pictures i have seen, the obttoms are black, with bits of yellow and stuff.

The amount of black on the underside of a western hog varies. Some are solid black, others have a few light checks and some even have a fairly even checkerboard pattern.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas