Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So I have a pair of hogs, in a four foot cage. I want to learn about their perferences.

I set up a cool side and a warm side with hiding and burrowing in sawdust in both sides. They used both sides and formed a pattern of moving from cool to warm and feeding and coming out, basking etc.

Then I placed a sterilite 16 quart size, full or dirt similar to what they use in nature. I brought samples home from a local hognose site. Its has a full 6 inches of dirt. I also placed a hide hollow on the bottom middle.

The results have been both hogs went into the dirt and have not come out in over a week, hahahahahahaha which is predictable.

I then took out the hide hollow to see if they would make their own underground area, they did and are still there now. Next is to place the same sized sterilite container with the same dirt on the warm side and see if they use it.

So far the dirt tells me that they have a greater need for the dirt/burrowing, then coming out or going to heat and feeding.

As you know, I am watching the hogs in nature as well. And 99% of them and over 99% of the time are at this time doing the same thing, they are down in dirt shelters. They are also breeding and developing eggs while down in these shelters.

One last observation, without the dirt, they did drink a lot of water, now they are not drinking any. Which is also what the wild ones are doing.

The cool side is now mid seventies to low eighties.

As I mentioned next is another box of dirt on the warm side, then possibly using the exact soil they use in nature to see if they pick it over similar soil from here.

When I came here, I asked if anyone kept hogs in a way the hogs were adapted to live. As opposed to keeping them like any other colubrid. I recieved no answers and mainly attacks.

My questioning hognose is simple, snakes have no legs, therefore, adaptions to their enviornment and behavior occurs elsewhere. Noses seem to be important. In my area, we have all manner of nose adaptions, longnose, hooknose, leafnose, patchnose, And of course our vinesnake which should have been named the pointy nosed snake has the largest adaption. Hognose are right up there in the nose business. Which allows the question, WHY? Thats easy, to dig, NO! i asked why, in their habitat, there are many other normal nosed snakes, so why do hogs have that nose and even better, how important is that nose to them? To me, this stuff is the fun part, not "just" making morphs. Which you can still do.

p.s. one last small observation, once they made their holes, they have not kept digging. Which is a good sign. And they did make a cave at the bottom. Best wishes

My last paragraph was in error. They were not content with a dirt cave, as they have continued to dig and dig and dig. Which means they are looking for something.

I will wait a day or so, then put that half log back in and see if that changes anything. Cheers

This is very interesting. Do the snakes defecate in the tunnels or do they come to the surface?

Dan

Great question, and I am not sure this test can actually reveal how they use feces to make their territory. Which is what most snakes and lizards do.

The reason is, They must have a system large enough to support that.

Right now, I am getting a real response to soil. They have been down for ten days, only to come up to eat, then go to heat for a short period, then back to the burrows.

We know or think we know why they have that nose, but we tend to forget or dismiss how important it may be to them.

With varanids, having a suitable home shelter is of prime importance. A wide temp range, deep substrate, allowed for a complete change and total improvement with captive results.

With snakes, they are much more tolerant to how much they need to keep reproducing. But that has no bearing on what they actually want.

Ok, off to the land of hogs, best wishes

Do you have any photos of your setup?

Is there a way to tell the temps on the bottom of the box?

Can you see the cave or tunnels they are making? I'm picturing a type setup with glass on one side and being able to view like an ant farm.

I gather from another post of yours that you're using real dirt from a field where other hogs were living. Is it more sandy than dirt or can you describe it?

I will be doing updates from time to time. Most folks want a "total" answer. When testing for something, the key is to learn the language.

IT takes lots and lots of tests to get an understanding. For instance, in my case, the hogs were indeed attracted to sandy soil. and the ability to make secure shelters.

The next test is to move that box to the other side of the cage and add a box of moist sphagnum. Then observe what choices are made. Then add heat and see if that changes those choices. etc.

Whats key to understanding this is, behavioral requirements, can and do override physical requirements. And thats about being a reptile. A snake can hole up in a crevice or hole for days and weeks to even months. A mammal cannot. Its one way reptiles can compete. So to find a secure shelter and wait out the threat, can indeed influence these types of testing. more later back to cage building