This October/November, I am planning to possibly get myself a Western Hognose snake for my birthday! Hoggies have always been my absolute favorite snake. I know that if I want to keep snakes in the future, this is exactly where I want to start.
I’ve spent a ton of time researching the basics, and here is my game plan so far
Enclosure: A 40-gallon tank with plenty of room to explore.
Substrate: Deep aspen shavings since I know they love to burrow and spend a lot of time underground.
Decor:Plenty of hides and climbing opportunities to keep them active.
Diet: frozen/thawed mice.
I also fully understand that they are rear-fanged venomous, which I am completely comfortable with.
Since I want to make sure my first snake setup is perfect, I would love to get some extra advice from experienced keepers. What are your favorite humble, budget-friendly ways to clutter a 40-gallon tank? What heating elements do you recommend to safely get that 90°F warm spot through a deep substrate?
Please feel free to drop photos of your simple enclosures and pics of your hoggies for inspiration!
Thanks so much for helping me prepare for my possible birthday snake!
So do you plan to get a baby, juvenile or adult? If a baby you really should start it out in a much smaller tank, like a 10 gallon or even a 5 gallon so it will feel secure. Your main concern is getting an established (10 times have eaten ft) before you even get it. Your second main concern is continuing the eating consistency after you bring it home.
I will mention the fact that if you are getting a male, a 40gal might be a bit too much as they grow nowhere near as large as females do.
A 20gal may be more suitable for a male. They’ll be easier to find in the substrate for feedings and temps/humidity will be easier to manage. Plus buying cage clutter won’t be as much of a costly thing to do…
But if you decide on a female (especially a Subadult) then 40gal is perfect.
I like to buy fake plants from dollar stores mostly for hatchlings or snakes that don’t get larger than 3 feet, they’re cheap- but they need to be cleaned after purchasing. It provides good clutter and coverage however they may need to be replaced every once in a while since they tend to degrade or fall apart after so many times being washed…
Anything you chose to use for heating needs to be hooked up to a temperature probe and thermostat. Since Hoggies can tolerate being on the drier side and do bask I use a heat lamp with a 100watt bulb (keep in mind that I also use a 40gal with the heat lamp being about ~7 inches away from the nearest surface inside the enclosure) with a thermostat attached to ensure it doesn’tget any higher. I’m able to get a pretty steady 88-90°F temperature that way, and the lamp is off at night.
I like bigger snakes, so I might get a female! I do know some people who have kept males in 40-gallon tanks with lots of clutter, but that is just my humble opinion, if I do get set on a male for some reason I will consider buying a 20 gallon .
Do you think a cork bark tube and leaf litter would be good clutter along with fake plants and hides? Also, how many hides should I get? I am drawing an example image for the enclosure while I look at heating options lol.
here’s a simple sketch for the enclosure, any ideas on what to add or remove will help, and if you have opinions on what type of uvb and heat lamp let me know ^^!
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