Western Hognose — Care Sheet & Morphs

Q: How big does an adult Western Hognose get?

An adult Western Hognose typically measures 35–90 cm.

Husbandry requirements

Western Hognose — origin: Central North America — prairies.

Terrarium temperature gradient

Night min20 °C

Cool side22–24 °C

Warm side28–30 °C

Basking spot30–32 °C

Enclosure (adult)

90 × 45 × 30 cm

Terrarium with a deep substrate

Loose, deep substrate for burrowing

Humidity

30–50 %

Substrate

AspenCoco fibreSoil/sand mix

UVB

Recommended

Low UVB beneficial (diurnal species)

Water source

Always available

A water bowl at all times

Origin

Colubridae

Central North America — prairies

Feeding & health

Diet

Carnivore — rodents in captivity — Mice of appropriate size (amphibian prey in the wild)

Prone to obesity — do not overfeed; sometimes a difficult starter (scenting)

Breeding

Oviparous

Clutch 4–20 eggs/young. Incubation ~55 days

Health watch points

Obesity (very common)
Respiratory infections
Incomplete shed
Food refusal

Morphs & genetics

Registry of 30 documented genes and 64 named combos for Western Hognose.

Microscale microInc.d
TigerDom
Masque maskDom
ShurikenDom
SmokeRec
JaguarDom
GraniteRec
Leucistic lucyRec
Anaconda condaInc.d
Arctic jmg arcticInc.d
Albino amelRec
Axanthic aneryRec
Toffee Belly toffeeRec
Evans Hypo evansRec
LavenderRec
PistachioRec
Pink Pastel pinkRec
SableRec
Swiss Chocolate swiss chocRec
MochaRec
Lemon GhostRec
Caramel caramel albinoRec
Ghost (Hypo) green ghostRec
ShadowDom
RBE Pastel rbeDom
JungleDom
Twin Spot twinspotInc.d
Red (Line) extreme redDom
Purple (Line) purple phaseDom
Green (Line) green phaseDom

Named combos — 64 documented combined morphs

SnowToxicToxic (Evans)HypnosPink Panther AxanthicAxanthic SableAshShadow AxanthicJigsawCasperWraithCotton CandyMoonstoneAlbino ArcticAxanthic ArcticToffee ArcticLavender ArcticSubzeroArctic CondaPink Pastel ArcticYetiToffee YetiSuper Arctic AxanthicLavender YetiSuper Arctic SableSuper Arctic CondaSuper Arctic SupercondaAlbino CondaToffee CondaAxanthic CondaVanda (Lavender Conda)Sable CondaPink Pastel CondaShadow CondaSnow CondaToxic CondaYeti CondaSunburst CondaJigsaw CondaCasper CondaSuperconda AlbinoSuperconda ToffeePanda (Superconda Axanthic)Superconda LavenderSuperconda SableSuperconda SnowSuperconda ToxicSuperconda YetiSunburstPink PantherCoralRed Albino (Extreme Red)Purple AlbinoToffee SableLavender SableTiger CondaJaguar CondaMicroscale CondaTwin Spot AlbinoTwin Spot AxanthicExorcistSnow SableSnow CondaToxic Conda

Pairing calculator

Pick each parent's genotype — clutch probabilities update live. Free, no sign-up.

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Western Hognose × Western Hognose

Probabilities per gene (independent loci).

Expected clutchSelect at least one gene on a parent.

Frequently asked questions

Answers to the most common questions about keeping the western hognose.

How big does an adult Western Hognose get?▾

An adult Western Hognose typically measures 35–90 cm (strong dimorphism: females 50–90 cm, males 35–50 cm).

What temperature and humidity does a Western Hognose need?▾

A gradient of roughly 22–24 °C on the cool side to 28–30 °C on the warm side, with a basking spot of 30–32 °C. Humidity 30–50 %.

What does a Western Hognose eat?▾

Carnivore — rodents in captivity: Mice of appropriate size (amphibian prey in the wild).

Is the Western Hognose a good reptile for beginners?▾

Beginner + level. Harmless bluffer (mimics a cobra, plays dead); mildly venomous rear-fanged snake, harmless to humans Plan ahead: a lifespan of 10–18 yrs.

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