Hello. I have a Western Hognose named Gypsy. She is a little over 6 months old. I have had her for about a month. She seems happy and comfortable in her encloser (25 gallon long with aspen) and she eats a pinky every 5 days. But touching/handling is a no go. If I get too close she hisses and sometimes even bluff strikes. My main concern is being able to weigh her so that I can adjust her foods as she grows. Any tips on getting her handleable are appreciated!
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Literally she is only doing that cuz she thinks your a predator and is scared of you, all you have to do is pick her up and wait a few minutes and she should calm down if she does not do this frequently and eventually she will/should calm down. Plus the chances of her actually biting you is very low.
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Also is that a heat rock in her enclosure cuz if it is PLAESE get rid of it IMEDEATLY! those kill WAY more reptiles than reptiles kill people (excluding alligators, I’m not sure how many they kill) in the U.S.A each year.
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sorry if that sounded rude, but heat rocks are a big deal if you know much about them.
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Thanks for the advice. Was not sure if just handling her while she is acting like that would hurt or help. And no, that is just a stone combo hide and water dish, not a heat rock
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A lot of Hognose Snakes are fussy like this, especially the young. The only way you’ll be able to get past this is to handle with confidence, the likelihood of getting bit is very low, bluff strikes are harmless.
If you must handle just to weigh thats ok, but if I were you I’d definitely start short handling sessions to get your little one to warm up to you and progress from there if you are worried about handling your snake being excessively stressful.
It may sound counterintuitive but handling them through their fussy episodes in a calm area thats just you and the snake until they calm down and then let them back in their enclosure with a positive experience has helped me in the past
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I don’t have a Hognose, she is pretty awesome. I got a Boa a few months ago that was scared and defensive and would make a Scene anytime I would try to handle him. I wore gloves at first so that in case if he struck me I wouldn’t feel it. That might be something you wanna try till you gain a bit more confidence?
Good luck, like I said she looks awesome. But the only thing that’s gonna get her use to you is handling so she understands that when you come around she’s gonna get to stretch and hang out. Not be eaten. lol
My boa now won’t even huff. lol he calmed down A LOT. I’m sure she will too.
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Thanks everyone! I really enjoy handling my ball python and would definitely like to get Gypsy to a place where I can handle her consistently. I will try to just handle her and let her throw her little fit for short periods and see if I can make progress
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Hogs are certainly little bluffers! Have you ever seen one roll over and play dead with its tongue sticking out?
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Hello! She’s a gorgeous snake!
If you haven’t come across this thread, it was very helpful for me when I got my hognose:
DOs and DO NOTs for your adorable new plains/Western hognose
Another great resource is linked below. There is a wealth of great information in this care guide:
Care Guide: Colubrid: Western Hognose
I think Ms. Gypsy will warm up to you with some consistent handling. Brief sessions at first, then gradually but slowly increasing the amount of handling time as she starts getting used to you. Just not every day (leave her be the day before and anywhere from 24-48hrs after eating). I don’t handle my boy while he’s in shed, either.
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