Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have an 05' female hog born in Aug. I got it in the begining of october, so I've had it for two months now. It is in a 20L with 3 inches of aspen on cool end, 1 inch in basking area. Multiple hides, a water dish, and fake leaves on cool end over one of the hides (a tight fit). He only uses the aspen as a hide thuogh (go figure). In oct, when my house was ten degrees warmer, I had a 95 hot spot with a room temp (low 70) cool end, but now that my mother (sigh) doesn't keep the haet on, "put on a sweater" lol... my basking spot has decreased to 85ish. So, I am currently making an elevated basking area by siliconing boiled rocks together.

Anyway, aside from my little temp prob, hows my setup for the little girl? SHe is a ravenous eater, 1-3 ft pinkies a week.

Now my main question, she has yet to shed. I am used to fast growing herps (blue tongue skinks, leos), fast growing rodents (rats, PETS not food lol), and fast growing fish (midas cichlid etc)...

Is this normal? SHe would not eat for a week here and there, until i realized that every time she refused, was after a week that she ate 3. So... Is this ok? Is she eating enough? She is firm, not loosing weight (getting a scale for xmas), no discharge, etc.

Thanks

I think you're set up sounds fine. I am a big proponent of providing a very warm hot side to the tank, and you are definitely achieving that with 95° temperatures. Feel free to remove all of the hide spots, your hognose will probably never use them. I suggest increasing the wattage for the heat lamp instead of stacking rocks. I have rarely seen hognoses actually basking, only if they have been very cold, and I doubt that the snake would climb to the top to get warm.

Concerning if the snake is getting enough food. I am also a big proponent of not feeding too much. And although I don't think that three pinkies a week is unreasonable, the fact that she is not eating on some weeks may be an indicator that she is meeting her caloric demands. I strongly believe that hognoses tend to be overfed, so after she gets a few were months of growth under her belt, feel free to scale it back.

Hognoses are famous for shedding in frequently. I would expect it to shed sometime soon, however.
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If there is a just God, how humanity would writhe in its attempt to justify its treatment of animals. - Isaac Asimov

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