Got Eastern Hognose to eat a pinky!

[kennerlyi]

I have kept hognoses for 25 years. I primarily have kept western hognoses, but I have also kept Mexican and eastern hognoses (although, I haven't had an Eastern for about 10 years).

I got a young Eastern about 3 weeks ago, and had been feeding it extremely small toads. I thawed out a pinky, and changed the water I was thawing it in 2 times. I then warmed up some chicken broth, and soaked the pinky for 30 minutes. Then, I put the pinky in a small Tupperware container with a frozen/thawed baby toad on top (thanks to the guy for suggesting this from whom I bought the toads). I figure I tricked him into thinking it was a toad. I'll keep feeding him amphibians as well, but this makes it a little easier.

 

[Beyond GenetiX]

Glad to hear that worked, it's easy to make the baby toads go a long way when you place them on a pinkie. Another trick is to place several small live toads in transparent deli cup beside the eastern, that will get their feeding response going since they are sight feeders. Eventually you can get the easterns to eat solely f/t rodents, it just takes time.

 

[kennerlyi]

He's eaten a pinky three weeks in a row! The "put a small toad on top of the pinky" trick (plus, first soaking the pinky in warmed chicken broth) has worked like a charm.

I had an Eastern I used in zoo programs in West Texas who was quite famous in the area. I had conditioned him to hiss and hood upon touching his neck (he wouldn't strike or play dead), and I always took him to area schools, for t.v. interviews, etc. He was an area favorite. I've been looking for one for quite a while, so it is nice to find one that is working out for me.

 

[blueboost68]

Nice looking hog.