Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently found a eastern hognose this last week, he/she is about 7 inches long. I was first very concerned because upon doing some research on various sites, I learned they can be finicky eaters and prefer toads. Since i live in the already pretty cold and thus nearly toadless state of WI, I did my best by offering a pinkie, and then a tadpole...to no avail. Nothing to get excited about I know, seeing as I have had the snake only 6 days, but I was still worried about future feeding. Anyway, I also have leopard geckos and when i went to feed them yesterday, I decided to toss a couple of x-large live crickets in with the hognose just to see if he would even take interest...it didn't seem as if he took much interest, but in less than an hour the crickets were gone. I'm pretty positive he ate them, I did a pretty thorough search and found no crickets. So, I put 2 more in and tried to watch but lost patience, anyway a couple of hours later they were gone too. I guess my question is...is it okay for my hognose to be eating crickets, or should i be letting him get hungry enough to try other things. I will be searching for some toads when the weather warms (do they eat frogs as readily as toads?), and if i have to, i will order some from online to feed him, but i think it may be hard to get them small enough if I order them (plus, with shipping they are $$$$). I at least need to get ahold of one toad just to try scenting I'm guessing. Not sure what to do, he's a very healthy, thick, active snake and I really want to keep him that way. Are the crickets going to ruin him? Thanks for any input, Jen

Tree frogs and leopard frogs work very well. What I do to convert them is scent a pinky with a tree frog, then let the frog hop around the cage a little bit (I have mine on papertowels, until they are established feeders). Once a good feeding response is going, I put the pinky "in the way" so that it is eaten instead of the frog. Good luck with the little one!
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Jenea

2:3:1 Tricolor Hognose (plus babies)
4:2 Eastern Hognose
1:2 Western Hognose
0:2 Southern Hognose
0:0:3 Florida Redbelly Snakes
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
1:2 Eastern Fence Lizards
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

This is great information. There is nothing wrong with inverts being a part of an eastern's diet. I couldn't find the info right off hand, but I've posted on this forum multiple times the diets of wild easterns that have been published in peer-reviewed journals. I seem to remember that ~25% of the diet has been inverts, mostly arthropods. I do have experience with captive easterns eating crickets, gel diet, and f/t minnows with no ill effect.

As far as this eastern goes, I highly recommend releasing it asap. There is no doubt that it was preparing for hibernation, which will definitely affect its feeding response. How will you really know the difference between the affects of hibernation or your husbandry on its feeding response? It would be better to get a hognose when you are actually prepared to keep one, and by researching for one you can get a captive bred snake that may already be on a rodent diet.
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Virginia Herping
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VaHS
Virginia Herpetological Society online store
http://www.cafepress.com/vaherpsociety

"The irrational fear of snakes is the only excuse a grown man has... to act like a complete sissy" - Colchicine

you might also try to scent with a toad ,earth worms or tuna fish juice, or try to feed the snake tadpoles. it help if you put the snake and food item together in a smaller covered container and give it some time to eat eat, sometime with mine it would take a few hours together with its food before it would eat. as long as its eating something the snake should be alright.

>>you might also try to scent with a toad ,earth worms or tuna fish juice, or try to feed the snake tadpoles. it help if you put the snake and food item together in a smaller covered container and give it some time to eat eat, sometime with mine it would take a few hours together with its food before it would eat. as long as its eating something the snake should be alright.

I have one baby eastern totally addicted to pinkies that are first dipped in tuna fish water. Guess I'm gonna have to start freezing some of that stuff as I am getting a little sick of eating tuna every few days ROFL.
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PHWyvern

>>>>Guess I'm gonna have to start freezing some of that stuff as I am getting a little sick of eating tuna every few days ROFL.

THAT is the hard way, and the easiest way to stop liking tuna!

Here's what I did (the PUT method)...
Put aluminum foil on a cookie pan or similar.
Put a dime sized bit of tuna on the foil and fill up the pan.
Put the pan in the freezer till frozen.
Put all the tuna bits in a double freezer bag.

Now all you have to do is pop out a bit at a time and let it thaw with your along side of your mice. You'll only use what you need.
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Virginia Herping
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VaHS
Virginia Herpetological Society online store
http://www.cafepress.com/vaherpsociety

"The irrational fear of snakes is the only excuse a grown man has... to act like a complete sissy" - Colchicine