Is a hognose a good begginer snake?

I went to a pet shop today and the dude working there told me that I should go for the hognose as a beginner, but I was hoping to get some real advice from you guys because the guy at the pet shop just cares about selling!
Thanks

If he was referring to the western species (H. nasicornis), then yeah, I would agree. As long as its feeding well on mice. they're one of the easiest snakes to start with in my opinion.

Stay away from all other species though, including easterns, tr-colors, madagascar, etc. They can be very difficult to convert to a rodent diet, as most hoggies are naturally amphibian eaters.

Thanks alot Michael I have also been doing some research on them, Ive noticed that they are mildly venemous but rarely strike at people. I guess I just have to be careful with him! Just in case he does latch on to me is the best way to get him off is running warm water on his head?
Thanks

My first (and only) snake is a western hognose. He's been easy to handle, not too squirmy. He eats well and will even eat in front of me now. I chose a male because I didn't want a huge snake. I've since learned about some of the smaller boas, but lots of people have boas. Not too many (in my area) have hognose. And darn it, I like his cute shovel nose!

Originally Posted by leboshade

Thanks alot Michael I have also been doing some research on them, Ive noticed that they are mildly venemous but rarely strike at people. I guess I just have to be careful with him! Just in case he does latch on to me is the best way to get him off is running warm water on his head?
Thanks

Yeah, in most cases where the bite is severe from any kind of hognose, it seems that the person deliberately let the snake hold on and "chew," resulting in a successful envenomation. I would go out on a limb and say that in the rare case you would get bit, a good dosing with hot water will do the trick.

They mainly "bitey" around feeding time, which is the reason these are the only snakes I own that I still feed in a separate container. They're not really aggressive so much as really hungry! In any other instance, a gentle tap on the nose with my finger seems to cancel out that strong feeding response...not unlike what many do with reticulated pythons. After that, they get the idea that its not dinnertime and I can take them out and handle them.

Just to give you perspective, I have a friend who is allergic to antivenin, so if she was ever bitten/stung by a venomous animal, it would be a serious situation. This person raises and breeds many species of hognose, and albeit she is uber-careful, that gives you an idea of how minimal the risk of a serious bite from one of these snakes is. I.E. If she is doing it, its not a big deal.