Planning Triumphant Return to Hognose Snakes

Colubrids Hognose Snakes
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Hello, all! It’s been a while!

Since the western hognose is FINALLY legal to keep in Colorado (where it is a native species…), I have been planning to get one. Hoping to get a hatchling at the reptile expo this weekend and am in the process of setting up a small enclosure for it (slightly larger than a shoe box) (or the size of a shoe box if you wear pretty big shoes).

It has been almost 10 years since I last had one, so I was wondering what has changed in their husbandry, if anything.

Are there any morphs to avoid that have inherent or common issues (e.g. spider morph in ball pythons)? Are aspen shavings still considered a good substrate, or should I make a mix of stuff? Any favorite tips/tricks/products you’ve used in your hognose keeping?

Luckily I live in their native habitat, so I can at least try to mimic the environment pretty well, but I always like to hear from people who are in the thick of it, as it were.

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I start my hognose hatchlings in shoebox tubs (they’re the right size for hogs up to a year) on aspen chips. It might be a good idea to reach out to the breeder you’ve chosen (VERY good idea to vet breeders before showing up at an expo) to see what their snakes are used to, so that you can minimize the transition stress.

As for tips: chose one that’s eating unscented, ft rodents reliably for at least a handful of feedings. Extra points if the breeder includes feeding records so you can use that to chose which snake is least likely to throw you a curveball regarding feeding.

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