Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just wondering if hognose will eat other snakes. Can they be housed together. Just cuirious and wanted to hear your thoughts on this.
Cameron

I have found that female Westerm Hognoses have a taste for snakes. My Canadian female would eat stillborn snakes with relish, as did my South Dakota famale. Males never showed such interest. I decided to try one day after these snake repeatedly tried ti bite me after I'd handled other snakes. I hope to get a new computer and scanner very soon, once I'm set up, I'll scan a photo.

Bart Bruno

Great observations, Bart. It's nice to see you posting on the Hognose forum (I spoke to you a few years ago about pine snakes in Virginia).

Although I don't recall snakes being listed in the diet of hognoses in the scientific literature, they apparently do eat other snakes as well as other hognoses in captivity. It has been reported here that hognoses kept together as a pair for two years resulted in one of the hognoses becoming much fatter.
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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)

well...im sure there are many instances of cannibalism in many different snakes...the least instances seem to be with the pythons...and the most...obviously the kings...however ive seen corns eat corns...and if u go to the sand boa forum...theres a girl that said her female at her male...then regurged it...i personally wouldn't take the chance...but im kinda new to hogs...ive kept corns...and ive always kept the seperate just in case...i think cannibalism usually happens with high strung snakes...calm and slow moving snakes like boids and pythons usually don't exhibit this quality...

Wouldit be safe to say that they dont exhibit this characteristic as often as some of the other species of snakes but that it still happens? Thanks already.
Cameron

>>Wouldit be safe to say...

If you are trying to find a way to keep multiple hognoses together then no, it would not be safe to say it. Instances of ophiophagy are purely anecdotal, no one is keeping score. So it's still not safe to say it! When it comes to the lives of my animals, I just don't see the reason for taking the risk.
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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)

yes..exactly..better safe than sorry...

while working at the cincinnati zoo we had this disscusion. what we decided was that being that hognose snakes are somewhat primative, cannabilism cannot be ruled out. if the snakes are well fed, it shouldnt be a problem (at least in my opinion.) But as always better safe that sorry house them seperately.
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1.1 Columbian red tail
1.1 western hognose
1.0 tricolor hognose
0.0.3 kenyan sand boas
1.1 cornsnake
0.0.1 burmese python
0.1 chinese water dragon
0.0.1 tokay gecko

On what basis do you consider hognoses to be "primative"? In relation to other colubrids, I would definitely say they are highly derived.
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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 fully agree better safe than sorry. I have seen them kept together and didnt know if that was common or safe and didnt want to assume anything. Ive even heard of kingsnakes being kept to gether so long as they were well fed but again why take the risk. Well thanks again and happy herping everyone.
Cameron

not that im trying to argue with you..but on what basis DO YOU consider hogs "primitive"....i would think that they are one of the most recently evolved or adapted species...what other snakes goes thru such a fancy array of tricks before they even think about striking at u...maybe ur right tho...iono..just doesn't seem that way...they also have enlarged duvernoy's glands...so they don't have to constrict like most colubrids do...IMO i think hogs are mighty unprimitive...please respond..i wanna see where this thread goes..kinda interesting...

I am getting all my facts on this together so i dont throw my case out there (as i already have) with no support to back it up. i just know i was talking to the head of reptiles at the zoo and i asked about this and he said because of their primitive nature they could resort to cannabalism, i thought he meant snakes in general. BUT he said no he meant hognoses in general. I am doing all the research and should have my thoughts on it by then end of then week if not sooner... i may be wrong, but if i am i will gladly admit it. if anyone can find proof on either side let us know. i think this is a great topic!
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1.1 Columbian red tail
1.1 western hognose
1.0 tricolor hognose
0.0.3 kenyan sand boas
1.1 cornsnake
0.0.1 burmese python
0.1 chinese water dragon
0.0.1 tokay gecko

As you can see from the top of the forum, I found literature to support your claim!
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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've been breeding hogs for years and never really had any problems. I do keep them together except at feeding time. Last year while feeding some hatchlings I was distracted and went on feeding other hatchlings. I put one group back together a little too soon, still amped up. He ate a female sibling.

Great info there John. I am guessing that picture was the final result of the cannibalism?
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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 took the picture the next day. He did hold it down so at least it wasn't a total waste. One big meal. They were both the same size. I still keep adults together and hatchlings together. I'm just more careful about keeping an eye on them until they settle down. Usually when they are hooding up and hissing and responding to each other, they do so with their mouth closed. I think he just got a little too amped up and once he bit her, natural feeding response took over.
John Q

But usually any snake that is "amped up" like this will attack others if they just ate i have seen baby burmese do this, baby corns and adult corns, and even redtails do this... but what about cases where they are just together and they are eaten? anyone have one of those? That is a great picture though...bet he didnt eat for awhile
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1.1 Columbian red tail
1.1 western hognose
1.0 tricolor hognose
0.0.3 kenyan sand boas
1.1 cornsnake
0.0.1 burmese python
0.1 chinese water dragon
0.0.1 tokay gecko