Hi, I am planning to buy a second Hognose Snake soon - females. I already have a male and would like to start my first project in about a year (6-12 months once I am ready both in terms of knowledge and environment for the young).
From a proven breeder from whom I have already bought other reptiles I have the opportunity to purchase a female Arctic het. Toffee Belly. However, there is one thing that concerns me. The female despite being 2 years old is only 50g. I know that both age and weight are currently inappropriate for breeding.
The question is - Will the female be able to gain 200g in weight in about a year? I learned from the breeder that she is being fed smaller mice so that she doesn’t grow too fast and refuse to eat at the new owner.
Of course, if I have written something incorrectly I will be happy to hear what the truth is - I am learning all the time!
Photo of Wilson for your attention 
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I’ve got two girls from 2022 that are currently sitting at 57g & 60g, so she’s not small for her age at all. It’s unlikely she’ll gain 200g in a year, and you really shouldn’t be pushing for that, either. Snakes grow at the rate they grow, and it’s actually healthier in the long run for them to put on weight at a slower pace. Breeding an animal younger and more often will actually lead to a shorter lifespan.
My suggestion is take things slow. Far too many people jump right into breeding without a real understanding of how involved, risky, and expensive it can be. You can read up on the basics and still be in real trouble once you get started. Hognoses are notoriously finicky, it’s best to go in with the best understanding from the jump. Talk to breeders, watch videos, find a good local herp vet, have emergency funds at the ready, and read everything you can.
I’ll tag a couple of folks that I know breed/keep hoggies and likely know more than myself: @ballornothing @cleoskingdom
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Also going to tag @trnreptiles & @t_h_wyman as well.
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Ahh I am aware that it is not as easy as it seems haha, I do not plan to start until I am fully ready - I do a lot of reading and watching. I have a couple of vets nearby and of course I know the costs involved. I don’t want to rush and hurt the snake that’s why I created this post.
I know I still have a lot of knowledge to acquire but for now I’m starting with the basics and pure theory
Thank you for tagging many people <3
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Don’t try to feed it aggressively to put size on. They don’t handle it well, you’ll usually kill them. 200g in a year isn’t going to happen.
Avoid breeding it if it’s undersized as that seems to limit their clutch size long term.
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Don and Jess are both absolutely correct that you cannot, in any way, shape, or form, safely or ethically get an animal from 50g to 200g in time to breed this year
Slow and steady is always the best option. The youngest I would even think of breeding a hoggie (regardless of mass) is four years
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I don’t have much to add here, other than that I have a couple females that are 4-5 years old that haven’t quite hit breeding size yet. I also haven’t been heavily feeding them to try to get them to breeding size.
You definitely won’t be getting this one to that size in a year, and rushing them doesn’t do great for their health in the long run.
Breeding isn’t a race, it’s a marathon!
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