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How long to leave a hoggie hatchling alone?

D

Deadwood

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Hello,

After years of caring for and pining after others' snakes, I finally got myself a Western hognose hatchling! I'm wondering how long I should be leaving it be? I decided to go in to move a hidey, and Deadwood (my new little bud!) was underneath the hidey and NOT impressed. Flattened hood, hissing, false strikes galore. The same happened earlier when I went to check on the temperature of the heat pad on the bottom of the terrarium and accidentally uncovered where ze was burrowed (not sure on sex yet)... not a happy camper when uncovered. Oops.

Anyways, I literally got hir 8.5 hours ago via mail, so I know the poor thing has to be stressed, but I was just wondering how long I should leave Deadwood alone/ expect hir to calm down a little? I'm totally willing to wait until the lil' nightcrawler calms down, so patience won't be a problem (although ze is stinkin' cute!). I have a scared little snake on my hands and want to decrease stress as much as possible, but I also want to make sure proper feeding and socialization are taking place. What's a general timeline I should follow?

Thanks!
 

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There's really no specific timeline- individual snake personalities vary. I would say leave it alone pretty much for the first week or so, but don't expect the nervousness to be gone by then. I have raised quite a few western hogs, and most individuals displayed some degree of nervous behavior (twitching and hissing when picked up, at least) until near adulthood. Some never grow out of it. Typically, they will be calm while you are holding them, although babies may squirm a bit.
But, there's really no reason to handle it the first couple of weeks or so, except for maintenance and cleaning. From then on, it will probably calm down over time with gentle handling.
 
Some people wait a week or so. Some don't. I think most keepers have a designated "feeding day" for everything, and try the new babies then.
I have had captive bred snakes eat the day after I brought them home. Others have gone a frustratingly long time before taking their first meal.
Bottom line; if the snake is a feeding, captive bred specimen, I see no particular reason to wait. When it does eat, don't handle it for a few days, at least until the lump is no longer visible.
 
De Nada.
One more little tidbit that I neglected to mention; sometimes, males of this species are prone to becoming difficult feeders as they approach adulthood. If you have a male, it may go off feed for a period of weeks, or refuse all but the tiniest prey. This is no cause for panic. Simply make sure you are keeping it warm enough, and keep offering food. Otherwise, western hogs are usually aggressive and reliable feeders.
 
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