Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am new to Hognose Snakes. I have a pair of Western Hognose snakes. They are both about 14 inches long and feeding on large fuzzies. I was just wondering how often I should feed them. They eat one fuzzie a piece each feed. Thanks.....

Every 5-7 days is the average. I believe that is the healthiest. Some will argue.
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James
My Web Page

Some will argue.

Here I am!
I believe that snakes especially are overfed in captivity. The most I will feed a snake is every 7 days, but I don't have a problem with skipping a few weeks here and there. Snakes in the wild don't get fed on such a subject schedule. Besides, having an irregular feeding schedule is considered to be enrichment by many zoos.
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"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
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>>Some will argue.
>>
>>Here I am!

HA! I figured it would be either you or Colby. I feed my males every 7 days I feed my females more often during the breeding season then go back to every 7 days. Whatever works I guess. My snakes will fast on there own. I think you might be the only one on these forums that MAKES their hognose fast! Whatever works for you I guess…
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James
My Web Page

Feeding every 7 days and skipping feedings is hardly fasting. How often do you think hognose eat in the wild? I can tell you from experience, it really is not that often. It is always better to have a snake that is a bit on the skinny side as compared to a fat snake. And besides, in captivity snakes do not have to look for their food. This allows them to become obese much more easily. I always fed my adult hogs every 10 days or so usually.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

And the sign says "No long hair freaky people need not apply." So I put my hair under my hat and I went in to ask him why. He said you look like a fine outstanding young man I think you'll do. So I took off my hat I said "Imagine that Huh Me working for you."-Tesla

How do you know how often they eat? Are there any studies that have tracked hogs and kept detailed information? I assume that they dont eat as often in the wild but how do we know. Just curious.

EP
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2.2 corns(candy cane, creamsicle, ghost, normal)
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1 w. hognose
1 bearded dragon
2 fish
1 rat
1 mouse
5 cats

"How often do you think hognose eat in the wild? I can tell you from experience, it really is not that often."
---Are you a snake??? Then I can’t give your experience any credibility. I do not know of any scientific studies that have followed around a hognose snake.

"It is always better to have a snake that is a bit on the skinny side as compared to a fat snake."
---Partially true; but what about between skinny and fat? Wouldn’t that be ideal?

"And besides, in captivity snakes do not have to look for their food. This allows them to become obese much more easily."
---My snakes are nowhere near being obese. I try to do what is in the best interest of the snakes. If they were obese I would change my feeding habits and their eating habits.

"I always fed my adult hogs every 10 days or so usually."
---Are you trying to breed your snakes? I am. I have found I can not keep a healthy weight feeding every 10 days if the snakes are actively breeding. It also depends on what you feed your snakes.

I know that it is not natural to feed a snake this often. But is natural really in the snake’s best interest? Nature doesn’t always have the healthiest animal. Hognose perish in the wild from disease and starvation much more often then in captivity. Nature is not built around hognose snakes. If it were things would be different.

I didn’t want to start an argument. I don’t know why you do. I am very tired of this subject.
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James
My Web Page

Well, I didn't particularly want to argue, but I felt like sticking up for Colchicine as you said something that seemed to indicate that you wanted to argue. Have you ever gone out and caught hognose? What about coming back every day to observe them in their habitat. I have. I have watched the same snake once a day for a period of days. If you know where to look for them, they can be surprisingly easy to find and observe. She (a rather nice sized female) ate two small meals within a very short period of time(about an 30 min between feedings) over a course of about 12 days. They are NEVER as fat as captive hogs. And I can guarantee from finding numerous hogs and keeping numerous others, they do not eat every 5-7 days.

I agree that mother nature does not produce the healthiest animals. But are hognose numbers dwindling? They seem to do fine even while starving and dying off all of the time. In fact, I, and others, have found more hognose in the past year and a half or so than we had seen in a long time. So even while skinny and sick, they seem to be producing rather well with their feeding habits. Do you think letting an animal eat just because it will eat is healthy as well? I have had many snakes, lizards, and frogs that will eat just because their instincts tell them too. Get as big as you can, as quick as you can. That is the goal, and to accomplish it, animals are programmed to eat as much as they can. After all, in the wild, snakes do not usually eat every week and must take meals here and there when they can get them. So when you bring animals into captivity, and you feed them every more often, it is not like they are going to refuse the meal.

As for your animals being obese, I never said they were. I believe I said it was easier for the animals to become obese, so keep an eye out in the future.

And lastly, as for being tired of the subject, I could go on and on, but I am just plain tired. Got an early surfing/fishing trip planned for the weekend, so you have yourself a nice weekend.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

And the sign says "No long hair freaky people need not apply." So I put my hair under my hat and I went in to ask him why. He said you look like a fine outstanding young man I think you'll do. So I took off my hat I said "Imagine that Huh Me working for you."-Tesla

I don't know where you got arguing out of that post to Colchicine. I guess that's the problem with forums. But Colchicine has much more experience than I do so I wouldn't waste my time on trying to argue. I don’t think anyone has to stick up for Colchicine’s beliefs on this forum.

I have found A HOGNOSE in the wild. And that was a number of years ago and I haven't found one since. You can ask anyone that lives in my area. The eastern hognose population is dwindling fast. As well as the amphibian population which is probably affecting the hognose population.

I will keep a close watch on my hognose snakes, as I always do, and I will watch for obesity. I brumate my snakes so if they do get slightly obese it won't last. The only obesity I can see is with my females, but they are both gravid.

I just don’t think that you can compare wild snakes with captive snakes. Mother Nature is unpredictable and random. You can’t really duplicate it in captivity. Sure, I could try to duplicate it like Colchicine does. But right now, I am trying to enjoy hatching out some captive babies. Hopefully taking some of the pressure off of the wild population.

You have a nice weekend as well. We both have better things to do. You have the ocean down there, and I have Lake Michigan. Have a nice summer.
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James
My Web Page

snakes eat whenever they can so when offered food they will take it? Tell that to my ball pythons!

I feed my w.hognose once a week (every 5-7 days).

While feeding them that often may not be natural. I feel it is best for him.

In the wild they eat randomly. But is that really best for them? Obviously they are still reproducing and such. But just because they eat only once or twice in 2 or 3 wks doesn't mean that it is ideal.

And personally, I try to keep my snakes weight inbtween skinny and fat, if it's to skinny or to fat they probably get sick easier (just an opinion)
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1.1 Ball Python, 0.1 motley amel corn, 1.0 western hognose, 1.0 red blood