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Show & Tell About Your Hognose Bites

Night10gail

Night10gail

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I've been really wanting a hognose but have shyed away from them because I'm worried how their venom may effect me if I do get bit, and everyone in their lifetime is bound to get bit by screwing up. Anyway, I'm hypo sensitive which is why I'm really concerned. Dye and perfumes in many cleaning products bother my skin, carpet cleaner makes me feet break out in an itchy rash, and many bug bits swell up like golf balls on me (chiggers, mosquitoes, ick). Now I do know hognose snakes are one of the snakes most reluctant to bite and for this have been named by BHB Reptiles as the best pet snake. They're all show and no action because they're really big chickens. However, like I said everyone is bound to be bit sometime because their so scatter brained busy they don't wash their hands good enough or something like that. I also know that everyone's body will likely react differently to hognose venom, so show me photos of your bite and share your stories of what it was like to help me know what I may be able to expect. Did your bit swell up or itch and if so for how long, how bad was it, and how long after the bite did it start? How often have you been ever bit by a hognose and what species (if different than the Western Hognose)? Please be blunt and truthful; don't try to calm my worry; as this will help me make a good decision on whether or not it's a good snake for me.
 
I wanted to add what I've heard so far at reptile shows and stuff. A large pet store employee who works with many different species of snakes daily said he's been bitten by everything, including a few pissed off ball pythons, but never a hognose.
*I think I did mentioned BHB named them best pet snake because their puffing up, hissing fuss is all show to scare off a predator and when they strike it's usually with a closed mouth unless they think it's food their going for.
*One breeder told me they are not venomous and it's just their saliva that gives some people a bad reaction?! Okay, I'm sure they're scientifically considered venomous because they have fangs that secret a toxin, that toxin is just considered harmless or not medically important to humans. Now those fangs are backward facing and set far back in the mouth so the likelihood of a fang catching you when you are bitten is low.
* I know hognose snakes use their upturned snout like a shovel to dig through soil, leaf litter, etc in search of food. This action can scare food out of it's burrows. I've had some hognoses I've held rub their nose on my fingers as if in search of food and I've had ones that haven't done that. When they do should I be concerned they may bite me if I make any sudden movements or as long as I don't smell like food I should be fine?
*Besides lizards and amphibians in the wild do hognoses eat anything else such as earthworms or fish that I should make sure I don't smell like?
 
They are not venomous and they do not have fangs. Fangs are hollow to allow for invenomating. Hognoses rear facing elongated teeth aren't hollow, and they do not have venom glands. They have duvernoy glands that secrete a mild toxin into their saliva, meant for paralyzing toads, etc.

The wording is important, especially in these troubling times when it comes to reptile, specifically snake keeping. Some places have bylaws that state rear fanged venomous coloubrids are not allowed to be kept. We are fortunate they worded it this way as it allows us to keep our hoggies. 😊
 
One of the many things that is confusing to people just getting into the species. Never thought I'd be able to have a boa constrictor because I thought they all got in the double digits of feet. Then someone let me know that most snakes labeled confusingly as Red-Tails are not actually Red-tail boas and are a completely different similar looking species of snake that actually remains under 10ft in most cases. Can you say I was happy?
 
i have a hognose that is very hissy and will "strike" but has never ever bitten. Bites from them are very rare.
 
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