Western Hognose diet question...

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M

mudkeeper

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 7, 2007
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I recently purchase a western hognose from the petstore i work at. Although it is healthy, i was wondering how well they do on a diet of strictly rodents. I been doing a little reading on these guys, and it seems there has been some debate on hognoses living on a diet solely on rodents, with lives and health being compromised. I know easterns have this problem, but was wondering if westerns too can suffer from this. Which leads me to another question, how can I vary its diet. It is aprroximately 8 inches now feeding on rodents.
Thanks for any help!
 
Try some crickets too.
 
Westerns are rodent feeders I believe, while Easterns are amphibian feeders in the wild.

Why crickets? ...

Edit: Insects would be the last thing that cross my mind... for me it would be: rodents, fish, frogs, slugs, worms and then insects if I ever had a picky eater with a weird diet.
Edit 2: Regarding captive health related to diet, it is ALWAYS a question when we take in animals from a foreign place. For instance, some people argue Ball Pythons do better on African Furred Rats rather than going by the girth rule. Others think that switching Cornsnakes and Antaresia pythons to mice at an early stage is hazardeous to their health since they start out as lizard-eaters. Some venomous keepers think cobras should be eating carrion since they feast on it in the wild more than live prey or fresh kill.
 
I don't think there's been much research done, but I did a google search and it doesn't seem to be much of a concern for long-term breeders of hognose snakes. Apparently some of these snakes have been fed nothing but rodents for 10+ years.

look here
 
As far as I know..Rodents are fine. Stay away from insects and such.
 
I was thinking what I find in my yard with the crickets. Forgot that we have no rodents around though, for good reason.
 
Thanks guys! So during the summer I can collect wild toads, tadpoles, and other amphibians and feed them to my snake (as long as there not protected or threatened)?
 
I would think rodents should be fine, I've never heard of any research indicating it's not good for them.
 
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