Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently bought a juvie western hognose, which ate two pinks the first night home. It's been two weeks, and has not eaten, nor shown any inclination to eat.
I'm in CT, and my ambient temps are a little cool. Do these snakes shut down in the fall? Or is there possibly something in my husbandry? Or maybe a shed cycle?
Hot spot is mid 80's in the cage...about 30%-40% humidity...two hides...cypress mulch as a substrate.
I keep large boids, and other than one ball python of mine, none of my other snakes shut down eating for fall.
Makes me wonder if it's something I'm doing wrong.

My yearling male has been off feeding for over a month. Someone tell me this is normal.

In my experience it is normal for westerns to go off feed, now having said that my Mexicans are still eating like pigs but i suspect they will slow down when it cools off (I live in the Mojave Desert) so that could be alittle ways off still (Dec-Jan). I wouldnt worry too much unless they really start loosing weight. Another option is too go ahead and cool the snake since you have cold enough temps to do so now and warm him/her up in a month or two and start feeding again.

There are more knowledgeable hog lovers who might chime in too so dont panic yet...

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Cheers
Lateralis
"I would rather be precisely wrong than approximately right"
Marion "Doc" Ford

mine *still* haven't eaten--it's been since the first week of June for both of them. The male seems kinda interested but hasn't eaten any of the various mouse sizes i've offered... I might try the chicken broth thing but it would be nice if they'd just eat :-P maybe I'll just try to find someone to take and brumate them for a bit and see if they wake up hungry, but I worry about not feeding them for so long when it's already been months since their last meal....

Mine went on a four month fast as well!! Drove me crazy!! Finally, offered them brained mice, and they are eating like champs again!! Give brained a try.....worked for mine. Good luck.
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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

tried it with the female with no luck.... maybe I'll try the male one of these days when I have time (hmmm... well, sometime anyway...) being a vet student has its drawbacks....

I just offer food once a week he mostly refuses now. It's that time of year for them to do this. Don't panic.