Reptile & Amphibian Forums

If I wanted to set up a naturalistic enclosure for a western hog, could I use white calci sand and add some small sand type pines from a sandy non beach area near me? I plan on never feeding him in the chage, so I don't think impaction would be a problem. In fact, can I see pics of people natural enclosures for there hogs? Thanks!

BTW this didn't get any replies so I'm posting again...
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0.0.1 Eastern Painted Turtle
0.0.1 Indonesian Blue Tongue Skink
0.2.0 Leopard Geckos
0.0.1 Northern Water Snake

I use white calci-sand myself. My hog seems to like it and is doing great. A plastic plant, log and a flat rock complete his enclosure. I prefer natural looking tanks myself, even if they are harder to clean.

Interesting, Thanks! Hopefully te person who posted last time will get some pics up

I prefer natural enclosures as well, since I just keep them and not breed them.
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0.0.1 Eastern Painted Turtle
0.0.1 Indonesian Blue Tongue Skink
0.2.0 Leopard Geckos
0.0.1 Northern Water Snake

I rather than animal be happy than the cage look good. My hoggie definitlet burrows more and has little tunnels in her aspen. I havent found anything that beats aspen.

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1.0 Indonesian Blue Tongue Skink (Don)
0.1 Irian Jaya Blue Tongue Skink (Sausage Girl)
0.0.1 Tanimbar Island Blue Tongue Skink ( Spunky Sebastian)
0.0.1 Ornate Uro (Spike)
1.0.1 Green Tree Pythons ( Male=Floyd, Baby= Verdi)
0.1 Western Hognose (Piggy)
0.0.1 Egyptian Tortiose(Tank)
0.0.1 Sonoran Gopher snake ( Toro)
0.1 Albino Leo gecko (Sasha)
1.1 African Greys (Timmy and sis)
1.0 White bellied Caique (Diego)
0.1 Goffin's Cockatoo ( Sydney)
3.1 Ferrets (Chase, Angel, Max, and King)
1.0 Greater Swiss Mountain Dog (Moose)

You bring up a good point. Although the poster is not looking for opinions on this, I think it's inconsequential if you have a "natural looking" habitat. I could easily debate that anything with calci-sand in it is not natural looking. Aspen is great stuff for hogs, and I don't have any reason to not use 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)

I would always do what is best, I am just wondering if it is possibe to have a natural looking enclosure that could safely and healthily house a hog. I just feel that the little hog might be more happy in a more natural enclosure.
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0.0.1 Eastern Painted Turtle
0.0.1 Indonesian Blue Tongue Skink
0.2.0 Leopard Geckos
0.0.1 Northern Water Snake

and he burrows down in it sometimes and sometimes he gets up in his log, it has an indentation that just fits his body and he loves that spot best..I drilled some holes that just fit his body in the logs and he loves to get in these and root around..I notice that he is much more active then my other snakes and seems to like it when I switch in new wood now and again, with the exception of his favorite piece.I am not really sure if he likes it Im just guessing but he seems to be a very curious snake and always explores everything I put in.Sometimes I put in a hot pink aquariim piece that has lots of holes, he really seems to like that one too.
Im curious if in thier natural habitat do they stay in a designated territory and go back to the same hole/burrow. Or do they more or less wander about looking for food and use whats available for hides?
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2.0 Ball Pythons (Titus and Hercules)
1.0 Western Hognose (Fuego)
1.1 cornsnakes (Asmodeus and Strawberry)
0.2 Bearded dragons (itchy and scratchy)
0.1 Rosehair T. (Jigglypuff)
1.0 dog BC..(Kippy)
2.1 cats (Thomas,Sunflower,Diablo(Boo))
0.0.1 Toad (squidward)

If the snake has adequate food, water, temps, hiding ability and humidity that it would likely see in the wild, then he is happy, no matter what the substrate is, as long as the substrate poses no irritation to the animal.

I used to frown on sand of any kind. Too heavy, gets everywhere. Then I tried it on a rosy boa and a sand boa. I found that it conducts heat wonderfully, far better than aspen, but it doesn't have the light-weight and absorbency of aspen. Still, I have 2 cages with sand (one has Calci, one has Repti-sand) and the snakes are doing great (after a few years on it). Of course, rosies aren't hoggies, so you'll have to see for yourself.
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Mark

Yeah, sand is just fine but I personally prefer shredded aspen and I have noticed a lot more burrowing behavior with it than anything else.
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1.0 Indonesian Blue Tongue Skink (Don)
0.1 Irian Jaya Blue Tongue Skink (Sausage Girl)
0.0.1 Tanimbar Island Blue Tongue Skink ( Spunky Sebastian)
0.0.1 Ornate Uro (Spike)
1.0.1 Green Tree Pythons ( Male=Floyd, Baby= Verdi)
0.1 Western Hognose (Piggy)
0.0.1 Egyptian Tortiose(Tank)
0.0.1 Sonoran Gopher snake ( Toro)
0.1 Albino Leo gecko (Sasha)
1.1 African Greys (Timmy and sis)
1.0 White bellied Caique (Diego)
0.1 Goffin's Cockatoo ( Sydney)
3.1 Ferrets (Chase, Angel, Max, and King)
1.0 Greater Swiss Mountain Dog (Moose)

I wonder if a hog had the choice between sand or aspen what would it choose? Anyone ever tried this?
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0.0.1 Eastern Painted Turtle
0.0.1 Indonesian Blue Tongue Skink
0.2.0 Leopard Geckos
0.0.1 Northern Water Snake