Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well, I took the advice from many on this forum and decided to try to get my baby hognose to start eating pinkies instead of small toads (which are hard to find!)

At first he would have nothing to do with the pinkie. Even after rubbing some toads all over it, he turned up his nose at it (no pun intended). So I tried feeding him a small toad and then immediately offering him the pinkie (while he's still in eating mode). He went ahead and accepted it.

Now all of this was done while holding the snake in one hand and the pinking in the other (just as I do when I feed him toads).
When I try just putting them in the cage with him, he takes 'forever' to find and eat them. But when I pick him up and stick the toad (and now pinkies) in front of his nose, he just opens his mouth and gobbles them down!

Thank you guys for the advice. This forum has paid off for me already, and I've only known about it for about a week.

Les

PS: this is a baby 10" Eastern Hognose that a neighbor rescued when it got trapped in his swimming pool about 2 weeks ago. He seemed 'tame' almost immediately, and won't play dead, though he did spread his neck and hissed a few times at first.
Les

Congrats!! It is always exciting when they eat that first pinky!. What I do with my easterns is I hold the frog and pinky together in front of them. When they open up for the frog, I just move it out of the way, a let them chomp on the pinky. I never hold the snake. Works great! I keep a live toad for scenting and this method of feeding. As a reward, it gets unlimited supply of vitamin dusted crickets. A win win situtation.
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Jenea

2:3 Tricolor Hognose
2:1 Eastern Hognose
1:2 Western Hognose
2:2 Southern Hognose
0:0:2 Florida Redbelly Snakes
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
1:2:2 Mediterranean Geckos
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

Jenea,
Hey, that's a great idea! I think that I'll try that next time. I think that it's also a great idea about the sprinking the crickets with vitamin dust! Is the cricket for the toad or the snake?
I've heard that baby hoggies will eat crickets, but I haven't tried it.
Do you have to do the tandem toad/pinkie thing every time he feeds, or just the first couple of times?

Thanks again for the advice,
Les

PS: If one (me) was going to buy a baby Retic (which I am), do you think that there is a big difference between the 'National Breeders Expo' and 'Repticon'? Both are coming to my area, but the former one is a 5 hr. drive and motel, where the latter is only 45 min. away. Any experience with these?

The crickets are for the toad. I figure if I am going to make it stare into the face of death on a regular basis, it deserves a little pampering! LOL!

I do the tandem toad thing a couple of time, and then try scenting the mouse. Sometime it works real quick, sometimes not, but eventually they will take unscented.
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Jenea

2:3 Tricolor Hognose
2:1 Eastern Hognose
1:2 Western Hognose
2:2 Southern Hognose
0:0:2 Florida Redbelly Snakes
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
1:2:2 Mediterranean Geckos
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

I do not really know much about the different shows, but I think the most important thing is the breeder. I know some breeders of poor repute who make it into these shows. So try do do your research of who will be there is my best advice.
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Jenea

2:3 Tricolor Hognose
2:1 Eastern Hognose
1:2 Western Hognose
2:2 Southern Hognose
0:0:2 Florida Redbelly Snakes
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
1:2:2 Mediterranean Geckos
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse