Hognose Western Health Information

Breeding
After hibernation, the female should have eaten at least four meals before you introduce the male Western Hognose Snake. In the wild, these snakes generally breed from March to April. Watch the snakes carefully upon introduction to make sure the female does not eat the male; should the Western Hognose female thrash her tail back and forth, this is a good sign. It means she is interested in the male you have brought her! After mating, remove the male. The gravid Western Hognose female will show an abdominal swelling if she is not particularly fat. Place a three to four inch deep nesting box filled three-quarters full with sphagnum moss in the cage. Leave a one and a half inch diameter hole in the top of the nesting box. The Western Hognose Snake will be restless and burrow a lot for a few days before laying. Five to 25 eggs are usually laid. Western Hognose Snakes may store sperm and lay more eggs up to six months after the first clutch. After a six-week incubation at about 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the eggs hatch. Neonates should be fed on pinkie mice and will shed immediately. Pinkies may need to be scented with frogs or lizards before they will be accepted by the Western Hognose Snakes.