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Western Plains Hognose Care Guide

Heterodon nasicus

The Western Plains Hognose is a small, personable colubrid with keeled scales, an up-turned “hog” snout for digging, and big attitudes in small packages. They’re rear-fanged and mildly venomous to their natural prey, famous for dramatic bluffing displays, loud hissing, and the occasional “playing dead.” With thoughtful husbandry they make hardy, rewarding captives in a range of setups.

Housing

A single adult does well in something the footprint of a 20-gallon long, though many keepers prefer more room for enrichment. A 36 x 18 x 18 inch enclosure gives space for burrowing, surface cruising, and multiple hides. Avoid cohabitation except for planned, supervised breeding introductions. Males especially should not live together.

You can keep hognoses successfully in three ways: rack systems, traditional terrariums, and bioactive enclosures. All work when you meet their thermal, humidity, and behavioral needs.

Hatchlings should start with smaller enclosures and size up. They can stress easily and will go on a food strike or regurgitate meals (which can be dangerous and even life-threatening). 

Rack systems

Racks are common for breeders and for snakes that prefer tight, secure spaces. Choose appropriately sized tubs with good ventilation. Give at least three inches of loose substrate so they can bury, a warm hide over the heat source, a cool hide, and a snug humid retreat. Heat one end with heat tape or pads controlled by a reliable thermostat. Racks make temperature and routine easy, but you’ll need to be intentional about enrichment—vary substrate depth, add tunnels, and rotate clutter to keep them engaged.

Traditional terrariums

Glass or PVC enclosures with a secure top allow a natural layout that’s still easy to clean. Provide a warm end and a cool end, deep diggable substrate, cluttered cover (cork flats, low branches, silk or live plants), and at least three hides including a humid hide. Front-opening PVC holds heat and humidity more predictably than screen-top glass in dry homes. Many keepers find this is the best balance of display, enrichment, and simplicity.

Bioactive enclosures

Bioactive works well for hognoses because they’re natural burrowers and spend time under cover. Use a deep, airy soil mix that holds structure for tunnels without compacting. Add leaf litter, cork, stones, and arid-tolerant plants. Seed with springtails and isopods and let the system establish before introducing the snake. Bioactive reduces long-term substrate changes and encourages natural behaviors, but it takes patience and a bit more monitoring during the first couple of months.

Substrate

Aim for a loose, dry-leaning, diggable substrate that holds shape for burrows without staying wet. Good options include aspen shavings, a lignocel/bedding-type chip blend, or a soil mix based on washed play sand and organic topsoil with some fine bark and leaf litter. Depth matters—four to six inches lets them truly dig. Avoid aromatic softwoods, dusty sands, or anything treated with fertilizers or pesticides.

Heating and temperatures

Western hognoses thrive with a horizontal gradient.

• Warm surface on the hot end around 88 to 92°F for digestion

• Ambient mid-70s on the cool end, low-80s on the warm end

• Night drops into the upper 60s to low 70s are fine if the snake can warm up the next day

Use an under-tank heater, heat tape, or a small radiant heat panel, always controlled by a thermostat with the probe placed correctly. Confirm surface temperatures with an infrared temp gun. Avoid “guessing” based on room temp. I always recommend checking the thermostat for accuracy. Always use caution with heating elements, as all can overheat, causing burns.  

Lighting

They don’t require bright lighting to thrive, and many racks run on room light alone. That said, a gentle day–night cycle helps circadian rhythm, and low-level UVB has become a popular welfare upgrade in display enclosures. If you add UVB, choose a low-output option mounted at the correct distance, and provide shaded cover so the snake can choose its exposure.

Hides, layout, and enrichment

Think like a burrower. Give at least a warm hide and a cool hide, plus a moist hide they can access when they’re in shed. Offer tight tunnels, half-logs, cork flats, and low, cluttered cover so they can move unseen. Many hognoses adore paper towel tubes and pre-made burrows. Rearrange décor occasionally to keep the environment interesting.

Humidity and shedding

Target ambient humidity around 30 to 50 percent with a localized humid hide in the mid-70s to 80 percent range. In very dry climates, lightly moisten one deeper corner of the substrate under leaf litter rather than misting the whole tank. During the blue phase before a shed, they’ll often spend more time in the humid retreat. After the shed, check the tail tip and spectacles; if any skin remains, soak briefly in lukewarm water and gently assist.

Diet and feeding

Captive Western hognoses do well on a rodent-based diet. Feed appropriately sized prey no larger than the snake’s widest head/neck area.

• Hatchlings: every 4–5 days

• Juveniles: every 5–7 days

• Adults: every 7–10 days, sometimes every 14 days for maintenance in sedentary animals

Obesity is common, especially in adult females. Keep notes, watch the body contour, and resist the legendary hognose “begging.” If you encounter a picky neonate, use scenting tricks sparingly—tuna water, salmon, or amphibian scent. Transition back to plain rodents promptly to avoid long-term fussiness. Do not routinely feed amphibians because of parasite and toxin risks. Use soft-tip tongs to present prey safely.

They generally get all needed vitamins and minerals from whole-prey diets. If malnutrition is suspected—poor sheds, weight loss, or neurologic signs—work with a reptile-experienced veterinarian rather than guessing with supplements.

Fresh, dechlorinated water should always be available in a shallow dish and changed regularly.

Handling and safety

Western hognoses are rear-fanged, and their Duvernoy’s secretion is adapted to subdue amphibians. Most keepers tolerate them well, but a defensive bite can cause localized swelling or irritation in sensitive individuals. Handle confidently but calmly, support the body, and avoid prolonged face/hand scenting with prey. Their threat displays are dramatic but mostly bluff—flattening the neck, hissing, mock striking, and sometimes rolling over.

Health and monitoring

A thriving hognose is alert, tongue-flicking, with clear eyes and nose, and consistent feeding. Track weights and meals. Watch for retained sheds, wheezing or bubbles at the mouth, parasites, or sudden appetite changes. Environmental fixes solve most issues; persistent problems deserve a veterinary exam.

Why each setup works

• Racks offer stability and security, which suits burrowers and simplifies breeding or large collections.

• Traditional terrariums balance display, enrichment, and easy maintenance for most pet keepers.

• Bioactive adds natural behavior, burrow engineering, and a living cleanup crew once the system matures.

Meet the same core needs—diggable substrate, safe heat gradient, sensible humidity, clean water, and thoughtful feeding—and all three can be excellent.

Breeding

Only breed healthy, well-established adults with clear goals and homes planned for offspring.

Maturity and conditioning
Males are typically ready around 12–18 months and 60–100 grams. Females should be AT LEAST 18–24 months and a robust 250–350 grams with good body condition. I prefer my females to be over 3 before breeding and males closer to 2. Condition with controlled feeding and exercise rather than heavy power-feeding.

Brumation
Most breeders cool adults for 6–10 weeks to about the upper 50s to low 60s°F after a 2-week fast and full bowel clearance. Provide dry, ventilated tubs with access to clean water. After warming back to normal over a few days, resume light feeding, then introductions.

Pairing
Introduce the male to the female’s enclosure and supervise. Successful locks can last minutes to hours. Remove the male after copulation. Repeat pairings over a couple of weeks if desired. Do not cohabitate outside controlled introductions.

Ovulation, pre-lay shed, and laying
Females show mid-body swelling as follicles grow. After ovulation, many perform a pre-lay shed about two to three weeks before laying. Provide a lay box with a moist, diggable medium such as vermiculite, perlite, or dampened coconut fiber. Typical clutches range from 6 to 20 eggs, though smaller and larger clutches occur.

Incubation
Incubate eggs in closed or semi-closed containers with a stable medium at about 78 to 84°F. Many keepers use a 1:1 water-to-vermiculite ratio by weight. Vent sparingly to prevent excessive drying and add water by weight if needed. Expect hatching in roughly 50 to 60 days, temperature dependent. Western hognose sex is genetically determined, not temperature-dependent, so choose incubation temperature for embryo health and timeline, not sexing.

Hatchlings
Set up individually in small tubs with paper substrate, tight hides, shallow water, and warm-end belly heat. First sheds usually occur around day 7–10. Offer unscented pink mice after the first shed; if refused, try modest scenting or braining, then step back to reduce imprinting on scents. Feed every 4–5 days and keep meticulous records. Never house hatchlings with adults.

Ethics and genetics
Work with clean, documented lines. Avoid pairing animals with known heritable defects. Be upfront about morph genetics and potential visual/het outcomes. Keep buyers informed about feeding history and temperament. Don't breed pet store snakes or snakes with unknown genetics. You should be able to obtain a detailed history from the breeder you source your snakes. Look out for health, genetic history, and that breeder's reputation. 

Quick reference

• Enclosure: 20-long minimum footprint for a single, larger preferred for enrichment

• Substrate: deep, diggable, dry-leaning; aspen or a structured soil blend

• Heat: hot spot 88–92°F, cool end mid-70s, thermostat mandatory

• Humidity: ambient 30–50 percent with a dedicated humid hide

• Hides: warm, cool, and humid, plus tunnels and cluttered cover

• Diet: appropriately sized rodents; avoid obesity and long-term scent dependency

• Water: fresh and shallow, changed frequently

• Handling: calm, confident; be mindful of rear-fang irritation potential

• Breeding: brumate, pair under supervision (in some cases females will eat the male), incubate 78–84°F, genetic (not TSD)