Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am thinking of a new breeding project. I am considering western hognose snakes. I am not a professional breeder. I only breed (bearded dragons and CA kingsnakes) for the fun and satisfaction.

I am looking for another snake species that is small to moderate size and not too difficult to breed...I can't quit my job to do it.

I was looking into viper boas but they seem to be picky eaters as neonates and they require multiple males to breed.

Would you suggest western hognose snakes?
If so, where is a good source of husbandry info?

Than you for your help,

Brian

I am looking for another snake species that is small to moderate size and not too difficult to breed...I can't quit my job to do it.
Would you suggest western hognose snakes?

Westerns are great snakes, but the babies can be troublesome to get onto pinkies. You might want to consider something like a Kenyan Sandboa. They are about the same size, but are slightly easier to start as babies.

If so, where is a good source of husbandry info?

There used to be a hognose snake website, but it has just recently been taken offline.
Try searching for Hognose Snakes in google. I just did and came up with 3 care sheets in the five hits.
Read this forum and read a few weeks worth of posts. You will learn a LOT this way and you will see what sorts of problems new hog keepers run into.
Then you could try the really old fashioned way that people used to rely on for information before technology made us all pathologically lazy - a B-O-O-K about snake keeping will invariably cover the basics of heterodon keeping.
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Chris Harrison

I agree with Chris that if you are worried about getting a species that is known for being a picky eater, then you need to do more research on hognoses! Of course, Westerns are a lot easier to keep in captivity, but they certainly aren't exempt from anorexia and subsequent head scratching and shoulder shrugging by the owners.

I disagree with Chris on information. I have always wanted to bring the subject of on the forums so here goes... I have found that most books dealing with the captive husbandry of reptiles and amphibians are absolutely horrible. I've not read a single one yet that if you followed their advice, you could keep a healthy animal for its entire lifespan. In some cases, if you follow their advice to the tee, you would very quickly wind up with a dead animal. I have found web sites to be a much more credible piece of information, partly because they are being written directly by those who have experience with the species. OF COURSE, the Internet is king of false information, but there are plenty of credible web sites out there.
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"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully."
Governor George W. Bush, Jr.

"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)

Thank you. I have found the most pet books are a
complete wastes of trees. The request in my original
post I thought implied titles in "sources." But I do
agree that our "pathologically lazy" society seems to
disdain paper printed with words. I hoped that someone
could have pointed me to a title that doesn't suck...
...if one exists. And the internet...any boob can create
a website...

So again, thank you. I am still toying with trying
some westerns. They are such an intersting group
and our native easterns seem to be declining. I
occasionally work with MA Fish and Wildlife. Maybe
experience with a related species may prove helpful
inthe future.

Brian