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Getting my western hognose to feed

markp33 Jun 28, 2010 10:01 PM

I have a young albino female western hognose. She ate fine for me last year on live rat pinks. I cooled her this year... and she has not ate for me yet this year. I keep her with a male hognose, and he eats like a pig. They were about the same size, but now he is noticeably bigger. I keep them in aspen shavings and she drinks water for me...

HOW DO I GET HER TO FEED?

Replies (4)

Gregg_M_Madden Jun 29, 2010 04:35 PM

First thing I would do is separate the two... From your post it seems as if they are being housed in the same cage... It is standard practice to only house males with females if you are intending to breed them...

Your female can be skipping her meals due to several reasons...

Stress
Improper heat and humidity levels
Sickness
Wrong prey size

We can be much more help to you if you give us a detailed rundown of how you are keeping her... Temps, humidity levels, size of cage, prey items offered... Stuff like that...

markp33 Jun 30, 2010 12:00 AM

Well, I'm keeping her in a rather small cage, prolly 3 by 3 feeet, at a daytime temp of 80-85 degrees and a nightime temp of 70-76 degrees. I have offered her live rat pinks which she ate last year, and leave mouse pinks. Humidity levels are about 50-70 %.

GregBennett Jun 30, 2010 01:10 AM

Hognose usually stop eating for one reason or another. Once you figure out why they arn't eating and keep them happy they usually eat on a predicable schedule. You may need to try a scenting technique or brain a pinkie to get her going again. Once they start eating they eat like crazy (some of my best feeders where once problem feeders for someone else).

3'x3' is to large of an enclosure. I'd personally say a 10 gallon sized tank would be as big of an enclosure as I'd recommend for a smaller hognose.

I gave a friend one of my extra males that was eating great here and he put the little guy in a 20 gallon long tank thinking he'd appreciate the extra room and the little guy wouldn't eat anything.

My buddy brought the little guy back to me, I put him in a small 6 quart container and he ate the same day. I gave the little guy back after I fed him a couple times and he now lives happily in a 10 gallon tank and eats regularly for my buddy.

I think hognose stress if they are in to large of an enclosure.

Your heat is a little on the low side also. If you don't have a hot spot of around 90 degrees I'd put a small heating pad under the tank to give them a warmer spot to thermoregulate (sp?).

Hope this helps.
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Greg Bennett - Western Hognose Morphs | Boa Morphs
520.Hognose (520.464.6673) - www.bennettreptiles.com

GregBennett Jun 30, 2010 01:13 AM

http://www.ultimatehognose.com/captivecare.htm

Jon's care sheet is a very good read.
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Greg Bennett - Western Hognose Morphs | Boa Morphs
520.Hognose (520.464.6673) - www.bennettreptiles.com

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