Hognose Snakes

Find the Perfect Hognose Snake for Sale on Reptilessales.com

When searching for a hognose snake for sale, Reptilessales.com is the ideal place to find a healthy, captive-bred hognose snake. With over 15 years of experience breeding and selling hognose snakes, Reptilessales.com has a variety of hognose snake morphs and color variations available.

Find Your Perfect Hognose Snake

Reptilessales.com has Western hognose snakes and Eastern hognose snakes for sale that make great pets. Some popular morphs include:

• Albino hognose snakes: Lack pigmentation and have a yellow and white pattern. Albino Western hognose snakes and Eastern hognose snakes are available.
• Axanthic hognose snakes: Have a brown, tan and black pattern. The Axanthic Western hognose snake is a popular morph.
• Anaconda hognose snakes: Have a pattern resembling an anaconda with black saddles and a white underbelly. The Anaconda Western hognose snake is sought after.

When purchasing a hognose snake, consider factors like adult size, lifespan, difficulty, and cost. Western hognose snakes typically reach 18-24 inches, while Eastern hognose snakes can reach up to 36 inches. With proper care, a hognose snake can live 20-25 years. Although hognose snakes have specialized teeth, their bite is rarely dangerous to humans.

Reptilessales.com provides detailed information on the characteristics, habitat, and care requirements for each hognose snake to help you choose a healthy, captive-bred hognose snake that will thrive as your lifelong pet. Browse their available hognose snakes for the perfect addition to your family today.

Choosing Between Western, Eastern, and Southern Hognose Snake Morphs

When choosing a hognose snake, you’ll need to decide between the three subspecies: Western, Eastern, and Southern. Each has distinct characteristics to consider.

Western Hognose Snake

The Western hognose snake, also known as the Plains hognose snake, is found in the central United States and into Canada. They are known for their distinctive upturned snout and range from 15 to 33 inches as adults. Western hognose snakes come in a variety of color morphs from tans and browns to oranges and reds. They are hardy, easy to care for and have a mild temperament, making them ideal for beginners.

Eastern Hognose Snake

The Eastern hognose snake inhabits the eastern United States. They are slightly larger than Western hognose snakes, ranging from 20 to 33 inches. Eastern hognose snakes tend to be more heavily patterned, often with distinct blotches. They require similar habitat and care as the Western hognose but tend to be more dramatic, flattening their heads and hissing loudly when threatened before playing dead. For experienced keepers who enjoy interactive reptiles, an Eastern hognose can make an amusing pet.

Southern Hognose Snake

The rarest of the three, the Southern hognose snake is found primarily in Florida and parts of the Southeast. They are the smallest subspecies, averaging 15 to 25 inches, with males tending to be smaller. Southern hognose snakes come in a variety of bright color patterns and require the hottest temperatures of the three subspecies. Due to their specific needs and scarcity, Southern hognose snakes are best left to expert herpetoculturists.

In summary, Western and Eastern hognose snakes make wonderful pets for beginners while the Southern hognose snake is best for experienced keepers. With the variety of sizes, color morphs and temperaments available, there’s a hognose snake perfect for any hobbyist.

Important Care Tips for Your New Pet Hognose Snake

Once you bring your new pet hognose snake home, providing proper care and housing will be critical to keeping it healthy and happy.

Diet

Hognose snakes are carnivores that eat a variety of small prey in the wild, including frogs, toads, lizards, small rodents, and insects. For your pet, an appropriate diet should consist of:

• Pre-killed mice or rats of appropriate size for your snake’s age and size. Hatchling hognose snakes can eat pinky mice, while adults can eat small adult mice.
• Feed juvenile hognose snakes every 5-7 days, while adults can be fed weekly.
• Always have fresh, clean water available in a shallow water bowl. Change the water at least once a week or if it gets dirty.

Housing

Your hognose snake will need a properly sized enclosure with certain amenities:

• An aquarium or reptile terrarium with a secure mesh or screen lid. A 10-20 gallon long aquarium is good for a hatchling, while adults need a 30-40 gallon enclosure.
• Substrate like aspen shavings, coconut coir, or reptile bark that the snake can burrow in. Do not use pine or cedar shavings.
• Hiding spots, branches, and other decor for your snake to climb and hide under. Provide at least two hiding spots at opposite ends of the enclosure.
• A heat lamp and under tank heater to maintain a temperature of 78-88 F. The warm end should be 88 F, while the cool end is around 78 F.
• Humidity between 40 to 60%. Mist your snake with lukewarm water or use a humidifier.

Handling

Hognose snakes can become tame and socialized to handling, but they may bite or play dead as a defense at first. Handle your snake regularly and gently for short periods (15-30 minutes a few times a week) so it becomes accustomed to your presence and touch:

• Always support the snake’s whole body since they are not as agile as other snakes.
• Handle after the snake has digested its meal, not right before feeding.
• Remain calm if your snake flattens its head or plays dead. It is simply a defense mechanism and the snake is not actually dead or injured. Gently place it back in its enclosure.

With the proper diet, housing, temperature, and regular, gentle interaction, a pet hognose snake can live 15-25 years and become a fascinating and social lifelong companion.

Reasons Why Hognose Snakes Make Great Beginner Pets

Hognose Snakes Make Great Pets for Beginners

Hognose snakes, also known as puff adders, make excellent starter pets for reptile enthusiasts. Their small size, easy care requirements, and docile demeanor render them ideal for novice herpetoculturists.

Hognose snakes only reach 2 to 3 feet in length as adults, remaining a manageable size their entire lives. They do not require a large enclosure and are easy to handle. These colubrids are not aggressive and rarely bite, even when provoked. Their defensive behavior primarily consists of flattening their head and hissing.

Hognose snakes have simple habitat and feeding needs. They thrive at room temperature (65 to 78 F) and require a basic enclosure with aspen shavings, a hide box, heat lamp, and water bowl. Hognoses eat pre-killed mice, consuming only one appropriately sized mouse per week. They do not need daily interaction or handling but enjoy occasional interaction with their owners.

The western hognose snake, in particular, comes in a variety of morphs, or color variations, due to selective breeding. Their patterns and colors are quite vibrant and appealing. The variety of morphs, including anacondas, albinos, and axanthics, allows buyers to choose a snake with their preferred colors and patterns. The vibrant coloration and varied patterns of these colubrids make them fascinating to observe.

In summary, hognose snakes remain a small, easy to care for reptile that exhibits a gentle temperament and visually appealing coloration. For these reasons, both novice and experienced herpetoculturists will find the western hognose snake a rewarding lifelong pet.

Are hognose snakes venomous

Hognose snakes are often mistaken as venomous due to their triangular-shaped head, but they are actually non-venomous colubrid snakes. While hognose snakes do have fangs and will strike defensively if threatened, their bite is harmless to humans. Their saliva may cause minor skin irritation, but they do not produce venom.

Diet

Hognose snakes are non-venomous because they do not need venom to subdue their prey. Hognose snakes feed primarily on amphibians such as toads, frogs, and salamanders. They use their sharply pointed teeth to seize prey and swallow it whole. Hognose snakes are immune to the toxins that toads and frogs produce, allowing them to feed on these prey without consequence.

Defense Mechanisms

When threatened, hognose snakes will put on an elaborate bluffing display to appear dangerous. They will first spread their triangular head to appear larger and more cobra-like. If this does not deter the threat, they will feign death by rolling onto their back, opening their mouth, and writhing around. This behavior, combined with their dramatic coloring, often scares off predators. As a last resort, hognose snakes will strike, but they rarely actually bite in defense.

In summary, while hognose snakes appear quite formidable with their striking coloration and defensive displays, they are harmless to humans. Their diet of amphibians means they do not require venom. Hognose snakes should not be handled excessively, but they make interesting and unique pets for owners looking for a harmless and personable snake. With regular feeding and habitat maintenance, a hognose snake can live up to 25-30 years.