Reptile & Amphibian Forums

are hognose's venomous or no? do they have venom glands?

some people have shown marked local and mild systemic reaction to thier venom-almost always after allowing one to chew on them for extended periods. The venom is mild and the delivery system is primitive...I get bitten occasionally (misplaced food bites) and never experienced anything at all.

Just don't let them chew on you
-----
Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

The Avalanche has already started-it is too late for the pebbles to vote....

I was bitten once as a child when I was hand feeding a baby hognose a frog. This was back when all the snake books I read said they weren't venomous. No reaction, not even skin irritation. Of all the hogs I used to catch as a kid, though, they would never bite defensively.
-----
---

1.1.0 Hondurans Het Amel
1.1.0 Hondurans Anery, Het Hypo
0.1.0 Honduran Hypo
0.2.0 Pueblans
1.0.0 Thayeri MSP
0.0.1 GBK Blair's Phase
1.0.0 California King
0.0.1 Speckled King WC
0.0.1 Jungle Carpet
0.1.0 Ball, Normal
0.0.1 Sulcata
0.1.0 Girlfriend, Caucasius Mexicana, Fiancee Phase

Western hognoses have a very primitive venom delivery system--if you can honestly call it that at all, and their venom is a protolypase protein, mostly likely for aid in securing and digesting food. The key is, like Brad said, not to let them chew on you--its not like getting bitten by a corn snake.
Jeff

I'm surprised anyone has been bitten by one and DIDN'T get chewed, actually. As enthusiastically as they eat, I always figured that if mine ever mistook my finger for a mouse she'd gnaw me about fifteen times before I managed to convince her otherwise. It's never actually been a problem, but sometimes when I watch her grab her food and practically gnaw it in half while eating it sideways, the thought does cross my mind...
-----
0.1 Coastal Carpet Python (Boots)
0.1 Western Hognose Snake (Bebe)
0.1 Cane Toad (Hengo)
0.1 White-Banded Sheen Skink (Minerva)
1.0 Northern Diamondback Terrapin (Queequeg)

I keep travel sized bottles of scope by all my snake racks.
A little scope and any snake that won't voluntarily let go will do so quickly.
-----
I decided my old sig was too big.