Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello everybody. Have a couple of questions about hognoses. I am currently looking to get one or maybe more. Not new to snakes, currently have a creamsicle corn(Sebastian) and a 6ft. colombian boa(Nala). I was wanting to see first how many hognose you can put together in one tank and how big does the tank need to be? I found a group of like five for a decent price for all of them. I have a 55 or a 75 gallon tank. Anyone who can help thanks! Zack

Everything I've learned in life, I learned from Nintendo!!

If you are new to Hognose, I would advise you to start with only one until you gain the experience necessary to maintain this Genus of snake (I am assuming you are referring to Heterodon). Contrary to what many say, no single species of North American Hognose is extremely difficult to care for, however, you need to be aware that they can be considerably more demanding than a Corn or similar species. This is especially true if you intend to start with an Eastern. Do not under any circumstance house two Hognose together as a permanent arrangement (a male and a female Hognose may be placed together only when they are being bred under close supervision). As far as the size of the enclosure, unless you have an unusually large specimen a ten gallon arrangement will suffice. This is ample room for an adult Hognose of any North American species as they rarely utilize the space they are provided to its entirety.

Good luck!

Jennifer Webb
(Jungle Gems)

you also might wonder why these snakes seem to be such a good deal. Is it just someone selling out, or perhaps they are someone's problem feeders that they want to unload. Hogs seem to be notorious for being inconsistent feeders and occasionally very difficult to get to eat f/t mice (just look down the page at the posts--many relate to feeding problems). I'd advise starting with one as well just to get to know the species....I keep mine in a small sterilite box and she seems content--it's about 10" long and I can provide a heat gradient with a heating pad, and she can choose the area she's most comfortable in. Remember that for most species, a motionless snake is a happy snake, so as long as you meet their needs for food, water and temp, they won't be out wandering around a lot.