Reptile & Amphibian Forums

As you see, instead of putting a small nest box in their tub, I put their tub in a larger tub full of coconut.
There is no lid on the tub containing aspen.
For the first 5 - 7 days after shed, they seem very relaxed like the girl in the picture, really chilled.
Every so often they go for a stroll in the coconut.
Some spending more time "underground" some less, some barely leaving the aspen but most of them returning to the aspen for several hours within each 24 hour period.
Some might suggest that they don't like coconut and would prefer a sandy soil. This might be true and I intend testing this next year.
However, my experiences with hognoses tells me they are massively creatures of habit and therefore I believe they return to the aspen because this is what they know.
Anyway, after a few days they seem to get restless and increase their activity level, presumably preparing to lay. Then, within 24-48 hours they start laying.

Cool, and yes, they live by scent trails and scenting. Now I suggest, once they mark and understand the rest of the cage, they will not behave in the same manner. And Thank you for recognizing that snakes have behavior and make choices. That is key.
Now I will jump up a hundred K and say, Aspen and coco choir, are not what this species instinctually understands. If you support your hogs in a way, it fits their instincts, they will behave in a very natural way.
And yes, hogs require a learning curve, which is why Gregg and I place the females in well before they NEED to be in there. It leads to better results.
These behavioral traits, are AS important as type of nesting. For instance, Those that place females in shallow nesting, may fail more often based on WHEN they put them in there.
Of interest, monitors seek their nesting area, BEFORE they cycle. Aprox 14 to 30 days before laying. With montiors, anything after 30days becomes problematic.
In the field, with pyros and Thayeri,(species I observed) females attend where they are going to nest, Loosely in the fall, then tightly in the spring. After copulation, staying within a few feet of where they are going to nest. Pyros often nest in groups. So you can find two to six gravid females sitting together. etc etc.
I have not found group nesting with hogs, Not tightly, in the same hole. But females do nest in the same general area. And more particularly, the same type of area.
Your approach is fine and your nesting is fine, nobody is ridiculing you. Or even folks with poor nesting. You could try other materials if you like, but surely your doing fine.

Gregg,
This is a perfect example.
FR is saying lots of good ideas and I concede some might be key.
My point is that he's said them already 50 times and it's completely controlling if every time anyone says anything that deviates from his opinion, even if he believes it to be fact, that he immediately has to negate the person's view.

It's basic courtesy to allow others to express other viewpoints!

I'm not going to repeat it.
If you don't understand that, I'm not going to convince you and that's ok.
We'll just have to agree to disagree.

Jonny,
You may want to follow your own advice about allowing others to express their view point. We have had a few phone conversations and during our conversations, you constantly cut me off in mid sentence while answering a question you asked me and never allow me to finish my explanation. It is almost as though my answers were not agreeing with whatever you already had in your mind so you just cut it off. LOL. I don't think you are a bad person because of it but you should be aware that you do the exact same thing even in a phone conversation.

Anyway, this quote raises an eyebrow for me. "Anyway, after a few days they seem to get restless and increase their activity level, presumably preparing to lay. Then, within 24-48 hours they start laying."

Restless, increased activity is not a natural behavior from a gravid snake and it is not something I see in my females. Their nests are already picked and dug out before they even go into prelay. The do not become restless or super active at any point. In fact they are quite calm unless disturbed.

I apologize if I cut you off.
I have a tendency to do that.
It has nothing to do with not wanting to hear your viewpoint.
It's just impatience that when I already think I know what the person has to say, I cut in with what I want to say.
It's wrong - period!
It has absolutely nothing to do with whether I like the idea or not.

We have only spoken ONCE this year, not a few times.
And when we spoke a year ago it was only about the business transaction.

Regardless, I'm not quite sure what your point is.
Like you said, not allowing other people to express their viewpoint is wrong and interrupting is rude.
So we should all make an effort not to do it - me included !

Again, its not about being a bad person, but you said, YOU THINK YOU KNOW. the problem is, you don't know. Greggs right, you take half sentences and run with that.
Please, I am not that smart. in order to express my viewpoint, I need to explain with whole sentences and using lots of examples. Why I do is, ITS NOT SIMPLE, A plus B. there is lots too it. Again, ethology teachs you this. In behavior, there are many answers or responding behaviors, TO ONE STIMILUS. They depend on many influences like the instinct, past experience, moisture, feel. and fear. Plus many more.
You are doing a couple of things well, but are too impatient to even finish the rest of the sentence and think about more. I only ask you to think. NOT MAKE IMEDIATE conclusions. Again no offense, if you worked for me, I would fire you, not because your not smart, I think your past whats needed here. You simply go off half cocked. I am sure you have heard that many times in your life. Here, no one gets fired, only you can quit. I don't care if you go off half cocked, but please, don't call me names or make it about me.

I pointed out in response to your personal attack that, actually, I've only spoken to you once this year and that that was the only time we discussed animal husbandry.
When we spoke last year, it was only to discuss a business transaction and we didn't discuss hogs or much else.

Upon reflection:
If you're able to say such an untruth, especially in a public forum, I have to accept that you clearly don't wish to be decent.

I'm not interested in the politics and I'm certainly not interested in interacting with unpleasant people.

Caracal, we like you, no one is messing with you as a person. ITs your response that is telling, You admit to jumping midstream, and because you think you know whats being said. You sir stated that. The suggestion would be, before you go calling names and accusing others of anything. Try to listen and UNDERSTAND what they are saying. Personally all you care about is you and what you call FACT. Sir, no ones doubting what your seeing, In fact, us old timers have seen the same things. What your missing is what your not listening too. Which is, WHAT you may see if you tried something else. Not even big changes, just little ones.
Put it this way, I could careless about method or right or wrong. The engine that drives good husbandry is PASSION. and you have some. I HAVE A LOT. Just take your passion and guide it by listening to, FIRST the animals, then anything that "possibly" improve your husbandry. Not the people saying it, the things said that could help you.
This CRAP about believing, in you want my personal opinion on this. I feel, only idiots believe. Our task is to question and test. So yes, I want you question all things I say, But then you really need to test it, not call names.
ALso, how your guided by some others, will hold you back. How something is proved is never something said, its thru testing. If you refuse to test, then be happy with what you have. If you want something proved, then get off your ARSE and prove it.
It appears, you actually want to do stuff, so man up and do it. Not call others names.
Look at Troy, everybody is a bad guy, And what tell you, others are bad guys, sir that's childs play horse crap. Its not about the people.

FR you should take your own advice. I so want to copy and paste every single time you did this but that would be a ginormous waste of time and space. Furthermore you should practice what you preach and put your hogs in deep substrate all of the time. Stop cramming them into small plastic Tupperware with a scant amount of aspen. Try to better mimic Mother Nature and give them deep all of the time like I do. Expand your mind. Give them what you see in the wild, DEEP....

Try deep all of the time. Its awesome!!!

I heard from reliable sources that you are posting from a mental facility.