Howdy. I have been following your experiences on reddit and was curious if you ever had a follow up regarding this?
I'm also very sorry your otherwise healthy looking snake passed away a few days after you had taken this photo. I just strongly feel that it could have possibly been something that happened at the vet. Dr. Bjornebo and Dr. Johnson are fantastic vets, but sometimes things just... happen.
I did speak with Mike Matson at the Phoenix Repticon back in May. I also sat at a booth right next to his for a significant part of Saturday and Sunday. I do distinctly recall him saying that his Madagascar Hognoses were imports/farmed.
Here is a screenshot of a previous post he made and he does state that they are farmed:
I believe this may have just been a miscommunication/misinterpretation. I understand that Mike seems to have a not-so-fantastic reputation on Fauna, but the two Tokay Geckos I purchased from him, that he made sure that I knew were wild caught, are still thriving and eating.