Reptile & Amphibian Forums

well that's a first. I admit I haven't handled him in a few weeks. But I put my hand in to get him, he sniffed my finger, and then bit. It startled me and I yanked my hand away, and then picked him up to see if he was going to be fussy, and he was calm. No mouse scent on my hand, either.
I know hoggies are supposed to (almost) never bite. Anyone else had this?

Did he break the skin or did he just strike at you with a closed mouth?

It HAS to be a feeding response. You HAD to have a scent on your hands that elicited it.
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...the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it."
Aldo Leopold (1938)

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
Calvin and Hobbes (Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink', 1991)

In answer to the first response, he did open his mouth and bite me, but he didn't break the skin. I have a tiny scratch from a fang.
And in answer to the second response, I agree, it was a feeding response - but get this - the scent must have been my dinner, chicken and wild rice, OR a snack - beef jerky. More likely the jerky - does this mean we can rub mice with beef jerky to get 'em to feed?

Also, the chinese market in my neighborhood is getting live bullfrogs for sale (presumably for the legs) - too bad there aren't recipies for toads or I'd have a supplier for food for an eastern!

Almost any food smell can trigger the feeding response. I have had two volunteers get bitten by Easterns after eating a bacon egg and cheese muffin, and wearing leather glove to handle an owl.
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...the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it."
Aldo Leopold (1938)

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
Calvin and Hobbes (Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink', 1991)

I'm sorry, but if you think a hognose will never bite solely out of defense then you are mistaken.

>>I'm sorry, but if you think a hognose will never bite solely out of defense then you are mistaken.
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Chris Harrison

to the MANY, MANY hognose I have caught. Not ONCE out of the literal tons of hognose that I have caught have I had one even open its mouth to bite. I have had close mouthed strikes, but NEVER have I seen one even attempt to latch on. It is just not in their nature. I suppose it could happen, but I still have yet to hear about it happening. The fact the hognose sniffer her hand and then bit proves that it smelled something.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

Did the hog get his fangs into you? Or was it a dry bite? I was wondering if you'd post pics of the bite if you have a reaction to it. I'm somewhat sensitive to bee stings and the like, but I am really wanting a hognose. Trying to judge just how bad my reaction might be. Thanks.

Dave

No he didn't get his fangs into me. Only got a tiny scratch from one fang. ALSO I don't know if hognoses can give a dry bite.

Don't discount the beef jerky idea right away. I have had friends who have gotten difficult hatchlings started by scenting with things you don't normally think of as hognose food!

Anyone else had this?

I have an adult female I have to be very careful with. I have to be sure she understands it isn't feeding time whenever I put my hand in her cage. I have no doubt she would let go immediately, but again, I have to be careful.

It isn't that she is aggressive, she is just a pig!
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Chris Harrison

Understood - my male hoggie is named Piglet!

While a hog isn't prone to defensive strikes, their feeding response is exceptionally strong. I screwed up several weeks ago while feeding one of my hatchlings. He hit my middle finger instead of the pink and it took the better part of 10 minutes to get him to release. It hurt like hell as well. They have jaws like pit bulls. I have been bitten by pretty near every species of colubrid and this one hurt worse than any hatchling bite I have had in 15 years. The animal repeatedly bit down, obviously an attempt to envenomate.

By the way, in response to the gentleman who asked about sensitivity to a bite. While I sufferered no serious ill effects, the finger swelled up almost double and it took 6 days for the swelling to completely disappear. Mild bee sting my behind! These are wonderful animals but need to be handled carefully and with serious respect

No defensive strike my behind!

When I went to go pick out my little guy (very calm and has only hissed, and it was the MOST quite "Shhh" sound I have ever heard.) He had several in deli cups waiting for me to look over. One was repeatedly stricking the side of his/her deli cup so hard he almost knocked himself off of a counter! And the guy went to show me another one, and it struck at him (did the little flare thing) then followed his hand around with his mouth OPEN. This was not a feeding responce as I had seen the guy wash his hands. The one in the deli cup that was strikeing couldn't even smell his hands, so again, not a feeding response. They do, do defensive strikes.
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1.1 Ball Python, 0.1 motley amel corn, 0.1 western hognose

Did you put your hand up to it? Hogs will mock strike, but never strike other than in jest. Put your hand up to it next time, with a glove or towel or something perhaps. They will sometimes strike close mouthed. This is something I see repeatedly, and for last year I found it probably in about 30% of the hogs I saw. Even the meanest, nastiest hog I have ever had that NEVER tamed and would musk, strike, and write and play dead...did everything in the book...would NOT bite with an open mouth...EVER. Take that into consideration.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

As a matter of fact, two nights ago I tried to feed my hog his mouse (after all, he sure did think my finger with the beef jerky smell was tempting!) and he would not eat it. Furthermore as I wiggled the mouse in a faint attempt to get him to strike, he musked, fake striked with mouth closed, and hooded up. Totally different attitude then the biting incident where he calmly smelled my finger for a second then tried to chomp down!

I do not have this snake, it was at the place where I got my hognose. He brought them out for me to see. And one was really agress, OPEN MOUTH striking at the top and side of the deli cup, and the other one where he did put his hand in there, the snake closed mouth struck, then open mouth struck, then followed his hand around with his mouth open, nice little black mouth he had to, and because their jaw curves it looked like he was smiling/laughing.The guy was trying to get the tail to show me the tail difference in sexing.

I got a different hognose, a calmer one, though he did his at me the other day. lol
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1.1 Ball Python, 0.1 motley amel corn, 0.1 western hognose

But the point is, did it ever open mouth strike on his hand? they will do open mouthed strikes, but normally not when they are planning on actually hitting the object in front of them, in which case they usually strike with mouth closed. Besides, most of it is a show. I have had hogs put on that same act, and 5 minutes they are sitting in my lap calmly as I take pictures. Hognose are not snakes of action, but rather of inaction and facade.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

I've been bitten a few times, because I'm not always great about washing up BEFORE I handle her. I've learned though.