How to Pick & Purchase Hognose Snakes

Video Transcript

"Now, in choosing a Hognose Snake all you have to do is simply go down to the pet store. Western Hognose Snakes, again, are very readily available in the pet trade. They are also bred in captivity by hobbyists. Now, when choosing a Hognose Snake, obviously you want to look for a healthy, active snake. This is an adult, three year old, Mexican Hognose Snake, he is a boy. This is a female, neonate, or baby Hognose Snake that was actually hatched out earlier this year. Now, the biggest problem with Hognose Snakes is getting them to eat. In the wild, these Western Hognose Snakes are primarily toad and lizard eaters. So, getting them to switch over to pinkies, baby mice, is a lot harder to do. What I would recommend is that instead of you trying to do that, is make sure the breeder or the pet store already has switched them over for you. It's a lot easier to have a snake that is already taking pinks instead of trying to switch them over which can be, sometimes, a long and grueling task to do. Now, you can get a great look at these snakes, up front, and you can see why they are called Hognosed Snakes because they have this cute little upturned snout, and they use this snout to hunt for their prey items. They'll dig around in lose soils to uproot, to dig out the toads and the lizards and the frogs that they prey upon."