Western Hognose Care Guide

Western Hognose snakes have become very popular in the pet trade due to their unique appearance, smaller size, and big personalities. These little snakes pack a lot of punch in a small package! Their personalities vary, sometimes they are very docile while other individuals can be feisty. Hognose snakes are known for their defense mechanisms - bluff striking, flattening their heads and necks like cobras, and when all else fails - playing dead. These little snakes are technically venomous, though it is very mild to most people and not considered medically significant.

This guide will focus on Western Hognose snakes, as they are the most popular in the pet trade. Western hognose snakes are native to parts of central Canada, central United States, and parts of Mexico. Check with your state legislature if they are legal to own in your state! This guide is not appropriate for southern or eastern hognose snakes.

The Enclosure

Most of the husbandry points that need to be met for any reptile will be checked off by their enclosure setup. Setting up a proper enclosure is the most important aspect of reptile care, and western hognose snakes are no exception. These snakes stay on the small side, and as a result do not demand a massive enclosure - though they would definitely love one if set up appropriately!

Male hognose snakes are typically significantly smaller than females.

Female hognose snakes require at least a 40 gallon breeder (36x18x18”) while males require at least a 20 gallon long (30x12x12”.)

Remember, bigger is always better assuming the enclosure meets all the snake’s needs. An exceptionally large male may require a larger enclosure – always be prepared!

A front opening glass enclosure works very well for western hognose snakes. PVC is typically preferred for other snake species due to its ability to lock in heat and humidity, however, western hognose snakes’ parameters can easily be achieved with a glass enclosure. They are a lower humidity species, and as such do not rely on PVC’s ability to hold humidity. Front opening enclosures are preferred for western hognose snakes, as being reached at from above is stressful for them. Snakes are often predated on by flying birds in the wild and being grabbed from above often elicits a fear response.

Substrate

An appropriate substrate for western hognose snakes is readily available both to mix yourself or to purchase. Western hognose snakes are a lower humidity species, typically happiest with humidity between 30-50%. Substrate is a huge factor in humidity maintenance. Hognose snakes also require a loose substrate due to their natural instinct to burrow.

We recommend a 70/30 mixture of organic topsoil to play sand for western hognose snakes.

Play sand is ideal because it isn’t jagged and does not clump if accidentally ingested. This substrate is a fantastic, inexpensive option for western hognose snakes because it is able to lock in appropriate humidity levels and its ability to hold burrows. Western hognose snakes have a shovel for a nose - they want to dig!

Aspen bedding is another option for western hognose snakes. It is easy to clean and does not mold, however it does not hold burrows.

Avoid pine and cedar shavings, as the fumes are toxic to snakes.

Bioactive substrates are an option for western hognose snakes, but a full bioactive guide would be too lengthy to include in this guide. The distinction between naturalistic and bioactive substrates is that bioactive substrates include a living clean-up crew and create a self-sustaining environment. On the surface, a naturalistic and bioactive enclosure may look the same - the difference lies in the presence of a clean-up crew and requiring live plants in bioactive enclosures. Keep in mind that western hognose snakes love to dig which is a recipe for plant destruction. We recommend planting any plants with “fences” of cork bark around them.

Temperature

Western hognose snakes, like all other snakes, are cold-blooded. Cold-blooded animals are completely reliant on the temperature in their environment to regulate their internal body temperature. Reptiles frequently move between warm and cool parts of their environment in order to keep their body temperature where it needs to be. Many species will bask to absorb lots of heat, and then move into burrows or shady areas to cool down. The goal of keeping any reptile should be to replicate its natural environment as closely as possible to keep the animal comfortable, happy, and healthy.

To ensure that your western hognose can regulate their body temperature how it needs to, you should provide a temperature gradient in their enclosure. Placing the heating elements on one side of the enclosure is an easy way to achieve a cool side, a warm side, and a basking spot.

The cool side of the enclosure should be around 75°F, and the hot side should be around 85°F, with a basking spot of around 95°F.

The distinction between the term ‘basking spot’ and ‘warm side’ is that the basking spot is a single surface where you measure the temperature of the surface instead of the ambient air temperature. The basking spot can be made with something like a flat rock that holds heat, such as slate. A temperature gun is the easiest way to measure the basking spot, and thermometers work well for measuring ambient air temperatures of the warm and cool side.

Reptiles benefit from a cooldown period at night. It helps build their immune system and regulates their metabolism. Western hognose snakes’ nighttime cooldown temperature should not fall below 60°F. Unless your home gets cooler than 60°F at night, you can simply turn off your light and heat sources at night. If your home is particularly chilly, you will need to supplement a heat source that does not generate light such as a radiant heat panel, deep heat projector, or ceramic heat emitter.

Heat mats are not an acceptable heating option for hognose snakes for one simple reason - they like to dig. When an animal digs it expects to cool down, which is counterintuitive with heat mats. Western hognose snakes should always have overhead heating. We believe this to be true for all snakes, but especially hognose snakes.

Lighting and UVB

Western hognose snakes are diurnal animals, meaning they are awake during the daytime. The best way to provide heat and light for your western hognose is to replicate their natural heat and light source as closely as possible; the sun! The sun provides three sources of energy to the earth - visible light, infrared in the form of heat, and ultraviolet light. Halogen bulbs are the closest replication to natural sunlight that you can easily and safely use for reptiles. Halogen bulbs produce visible light and infrared heat in similar proportions to sunlight. PAR38 dimmable halogen flood bulbs are ideal, they provide a wide spread so the heat isn’t too concentrated, and they are safe to use on a thermostat.

Thermostats are absolute requirements to ensure the safety of your animal and home.

Also be sure that your snake cannot make contact with the heating element, which can cause serious burns. There are light cages available that prevent your snake from making contact with the bulb.

Please see our Heating and Lighting Guide for a more in-depth guide on this topic!

Providing UVB for western hognose snakes is frequently argued as unnecessary, but we believe providing UVB for is very beneficial for them. T5 strip-style UVB bulbs are ideal, as it produces healthy amounts of UVB that is not overly concentrated. The UVB strip should cover the warm part of their enclosure, so be sure to provide a UVB strip bulb that is 1/3 to 1/2 the length of the enclosure. It is necessary to replace T5 UVB bulbs every 12 months as they get less effective over time.

UVB Is not one-size-fits-all. UVB deteriorates over distance and is also diminished by screens. A UVB bulb mounted inside an enclosure within inches of a basking spot can create much more UVB rays than if the same strength bulb were placed over a screen 12” away from the basking spot. We recommend checking the manufacturer’s specs on each UVB bulb and selecting one that creates a maximum UVI of 2.0-3.0 considering the distance from the basking spot and if it is mounted on a screen. Generally speaking, a shadedweller style bulb is a good place to start for western hognose snakes.

Your western hognose snake’s enclosure should be dark at night. If it gets too cold in their enclosure at night (below 60°F) you will need to supply a non-light producing heat source.

Humidity

The humidity requirement for western hognose snakes is relatively low compared to many other snakes. Ideally, their humidity should be between 30-50%. The hot side will always have lower humidity than the cool side, aim for 30% humidity on the warm side and 40-50% humidity on the cool side. Increasing humidity with the soil/sand substrate is easy - simply pour water into the cool side.

You should provide a humid hide for your western hognose snake so they can access higher humidity if they want to. A humid hide can be achieved by adding a material like sphagnum moss to a hide (such as a cave, log, etc.) and keeping the moss inside damp. Snakes often seek higher humidity while they are shedding, and having a humid hide available to your western hognose at all times will let them shed comfortably and regulate themselves.

Decor and Hides

Decorating your enclosure is very much up to personal preference. We will go over some basics, but how you achieve them is up to you!

Provide several hiding spots
Provide a lot of clutter
Provide climbing opportunities like branches, rocks, and more. Western hognose snakes are surprisingly willing to climb!
Provide a water bowl and keep the water clean and fresh.

Bioactive

Bioactive enclosures are self-sustaining environments that differ from naturalistic appearing enclosures by having live plants and a clean-up crew - or small invertebrates that consume waste and provide nutrients to the plants and a clean environment. Arid bioactive enclosures are achievable for western hognose snakes, however,

bioactive enclosure setups are too lengthy to include in this guide. Please see our Bioactive series for more information!

Everyday Life and Maintenance

Now that we have covered the enclosure, it’s time to get into other aspects of your western hognose snake’s husbandry!

Defense Mechanisms

Hognose snakes are known for their dramatic flair and attitude - and for good reason! These snakes puff up like cobras, hiss, bluff strike, musk, and play dead. These snakes rarely actually bite. It is important to be aware that these behaviors are normal, but it is a sign of stress and discomfort. Western hognose snakes are prone to stress especially if their environment isn’t cluttered enough, and as a result can skip meals. Monitor your snake for excessive stress behaviors and adjust its environment as needed.

A Note on Venom

It is important to be aware that western hognose snakes are technically venomous snakes, though their venom is considered medically insignificant to humans. Western hognose snake venom is formulated to be effective against their native amphibian prey. Additionally, they are rear-fanged venomous, meaning their venom glands are in the back of their jaw and the snake has to “chew” to pump venom into whatever it is biting. Generally, a quick nip from a western hognose is not enough to deliver venom (though it is possible) - they really have to hold on to you.

A typical reaction to a western hognose bite when the snake is allowed to chew on you is localized swelling, itching, and general discomfort in the area. With all this in mind, it is important to note that some people do experience more severe reactions to their venom. A hognose snake may not make the best first snake for this reason, as it is important to understand snake body language and behavior to avoid potential bites.

Note that hognose venom is not similar to bee or wasp stings, an an allergy to beestings is not relevant to one’s reaction to a hognose snake bite.

Diet

Western hognose snakes feed primarily on amphibians in the wild. It is very difficult to source such prey in captivity in a safe manner, and as such most breeders ensure their snakes are feeding on rodents before selling them to the general public. It is important that you verify your snake’s diet with the breeder. In captivity, frozen/thawed prey is ideal for a number of reasons - including safety for your snake (rodent bites hurt!)

Western hognose snakes should be fed prey no bigger than the diameter of their head as their bodies do not expand as much as other snakes’ bodies can. A good rule of thumb is stick to small prey items. If your snake needs more food, offer multiple small prey items instead of one big one.

These snakes are known to go on “hunger strikes” - this is typical and as long as the snake is not losing weight, generally not a concern. To get picky snakes to eat, sometimes “scenting” prey with stinky fish (like silversides) can help.

Baby and juvenile hognose snakes should be fed approximately every 5 days. Small baby snakes should eat one small pinky mouse, larger babies should have two pinky mice. When the snake is large enough to switch to fuzzy mice, offer one fuzzy per feeding.

Adults should be fed every 7-10 days, scaling their food up with the size of the snake’s head.

Shedding

Western hognose snakes shed their skin regularly. They shed more frequently as they are growing, but still do so as adults. Higher humidity is preferred when they are shedding, so providing the humid hide mentioned in the humidity section in this guide is important. Your snake’s color may fade right before shedding, and you may notice their eyes look cloudy. Both of these things are normal. The cloudy eyes occur because there is actually a large, single scale over their eye that comes off with the rest of their shed skin when they release it. It is advisable to leave your snake alone when it is ‘in shed’ as they often feel vulnerable and uncomfortable while doing so. The tell for being ‘in shed’ is when their eyes are cloudy - leave them alone and make sure the humidity is higher than normal. When their shed comes off they will feel better and you can resume handling as normal.

If you notice that your western hognose snake’s shed skin comes off in pieces or is patchy (parts of the shed still stuck to your snake) the humidity is likely not high enough for them. Their shed should come off in one complete piece. Adjust your humidity to be higher and raise it as needed until their shed comes off cleanly.

Clean-Up and Health Check-Ins

Daily Maintenance

Despite being a more arid species, your western hognose snake should have access to fresh water at all times. If you notice your snake’s water bowl frequently has substrate in it, consider moving it onto a smoother surface like a rocky area.

Waste clean-up may be yucky to some, but waste production is natural! It’s important to spot-clean their enclosure of any feces or urates as soon as you notice them. Snakes secrete kidney waste in the form of a solid mass called a urate rather than pure liquid. Healthy urates are soft, white, and chalky and may have small amounts of liquid around them. It is important to check daily for waste to ensure a clean environment. Additionally, often the first tell of a sick snake is seen in its waste.

Health Checks

Some health concern indicators include but are not limited to:

- Orange or dark yellow urates
  - Typically caused by dehydration
  - Check humidity and address as needed
- Watery stools
  - Can be caused by internal parasites, stress, or if the frozen/thawed food item was exceptionally wet
  - Cause for concern if watery stools happen twice in a row
  - Check temperatures - ideal temperatures are essential to digestive health
  - Particularly smelly waste
  - This can be due to parasite infection - monitor your snake for other signs of illness
- Stuck shed
  - See shedding section
- Stuck eyecaps
  - Snakes’ eyes are covered by a transparent scale, which in cases of stuck shed may not come off properly
  - May be remedied by very gently rubbing the snake’s eyecap with a wet Q-tip. If you are uncomfortable doing so or if your snake is too wiggly, seek veterinary care
  - If the gentle rubbing method does not work, do not attempt to pull off the stuck eyecap yourself. Doing so may cause permanent eye damage or blindness. Always consult a professional if the eyecap is not coming off with the wet Q-tip method
- Scale rot
  - A bacterial infection usually caused by the substrate being too wet or dirty
  - Look for discolored scales on the snake’s belly - this is a sign of scale rot but could be harmless. Monitor closely
  - Diagnosis and treatment requires a veterinarian
  - Rare in western hognose snakes due to their arid environment
- Mouth rot
  - Look for swelling, discoloration, discharge, and other abnormalities in the mouth area
  - Numerous infectious causes
  - Diagnosis and treatment requires a veterinarian
- Respiratory Infections
  - Listen for whistling or wheezing noises when the snake breathes
  - May cause discharge from the nose or mouth, sometimes it looks like drooling
  - Often caused by improper husbandry, especially improper humidity levels
  - Diagnosis and treatment requires a veterinarian
- Burns
  - Causes discoloration, usually pink to red patches
  - Can be caused by not having a dimming thermostat
  - More common with the heat mats and belly heat methods which we explicitly do not recommend for western hognose snakes
- Mites
  - Small, external parasites typically transmitted from an infected animal
  - Will look like black specks in between the scales that move if touched
  - Mites transmit disease and cannot be ignored, they must be treated ASAP
  - Can be treated with mite sprays
  - If DIY treatment fails, seek a veterinarian

Always consult a professional if you have concerns about your pet’s health. We are not veterinarians and these are guidelines.

Quarantine Period

All new reptiles in your home should be housed separately from other animals for at least 60 days. Ideally, the quarantined animal will be in a separate room. Set up a sanitary enclosure and use paper towels or newspaper for substrate so you can carefully monitor their waste - oddities in their waste is often the first sign of illness. Non-loose substrate is not ideal for hognose snakes, but is unfortunately necessary during its quarantine period.

Acclimation Period

The first week or two that you get your new snake will be very stressful for them. Environment changes are difficult to adapt to, especially if their new environment is not ideal. This is why getting everything setup properly before getting your new pet is so important.

Three important pointers for acclimating new snakes:

If you have other reptiles, quarantine your new snake to prevent the potential spread of disease, internal parasites, and mites. Mites also spread disease, keeping the quarantined snake in a completely separate area is ideal. See the quarantine section for more information
Do not offer food for the first week
Do not handle them for one week and allow them to adapt to their new environment

Two days after your snake eats for the first time with you, you can start interacting more with it. Approach your snake slowly with your hand and make sure it knows you are there. Avoid reaching from above, these snakes instinctively fear predatory birds and may see your hand as a threat.

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