Western hognose, I have her on shredded aspen 1.5” deep for her substrate (Zoo Med snake bedding). I wanted to know if the other hognose owners prefer the tiny chipped version over the shredded and which version do the hoggies seem to prefer. The breeder just said use aspen so I bought what I used in the past for other species but when he shipped her she was on chipped, go figure right. I just kept the shredded I had in the tub as it was already set up and she seems to be doing good with it so far but if the other is what I should be using I will switch to it next time I clean her tub. So far she isn’t showing much stress, not to say she couldn’t be harboring a mountains worth in her drama filled head. I have had her since 7/19, she ate for me the first time I tried to feed on 7/24 (l waited 4-5 days so she could calm down from the shipping stress, also I just leave the pinky in the tub with her for a couple of hours). She refused to eat for me the second time I tried to feed on 7/29, I was originally worried it was stress until I saw her the next day and she was in full blue. She had a perfect shed on Wed so I tried to feed again today and when I went to put the pinky in her enclosure with the tongs she literally slithered up with her mouth open to where I was going to place it and leave it for her (which was only maybe 3” from where she was laying previously) and gently took it off the tongs. So the set up must not be stressing her too much if she is eating, that and she is burrowing fiend so it seems to be working in that sense as well.
Vykingwulf
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I prefer to drop feed when possible with all snakes, since it helps to dissociate me and food in the snake's mind. This is more "natural" for the snake (and for those keepers who tend toward those sorts of things), but most importantly it is a keeper safety issue. A misguided food strike from a hog can do a surprising amount of damage; my worst bite in terms of damage done to my hand was actually from a male hog (so, not a large snake).
I prefer aspen chips since they tend not to compact as much as the flakes can. Different flake brands and runs are different sizes sometimes, but some are so large that some snakes don't take the trouble to dig in them when they would in chips.
In general I don't like the fact that dark substrates (such as coco chip) make it hard to notice poop, and so only use such substrates when the environmental needs of the snake demands it (for higher moisture snakes).
I prefer aspen chips since they tend not to compact as much as the flakes can. Different flake brands and runs are different sizes sometimes, but some are so large that some snakes don't take the trouble to dig in them when they would in chips.
In general I don't like the fact that dark substrates (such as coco chip) make it hard to notice poop, and so only use such substrates when the environmental needs of the snake demands it (for higher moisture snakes).
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I shoot for maybe 94 hot and high 70s cool, and that seems to work. Tubs that are in solid sided racks hold heat better -- you could build a simple one-slot one out of sheet PVC.
A good long term solution in a cooler house (if you don't want to use a tub) is a PVC enclosure (like those from AP Cages). Get the sliding glass door model, and a radiant heat panel.
Ceramic emitter in a glass viv might be ok, but the emitter and the AC are really going to be at odds with each other -- best to figure out how to hold the heat where it is needed rather than just making more heat.
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@ian14 , have you ever tested between 24/7 heat and a night drop to see the differences in outcomes? Sincere question. Here in the US, heat off at night is not typical care, though I'd like to learn more about it.
That's either a typo, or a cooking recipe.
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Interesting discussion, and yes we in the US are pretty familiar with the environmental extremes (extremes that we'd be foolish to emulate entirely, but I suppose that's a different topic).
I was looking more to know about how captive animals respond to such regimens if there was any information available from keepers who had kept the same specimens under each heating schedule for an extended period of time (a full breeding cycle, at least) and could see any changes in outcomes. Skepticism about simply reproducing wild conditions has a lot of observational support; for example, my pregnant rosy boas are currently all thermoregulating to the mid 90s (35C) 24/7, but if they preferred a night drop they'd move onto the cool side at night since that's about the same temp as current overnight temps throughout much of their native range.
@Vykingwulf , none of the few eastern hogs I've caught here in Wisconsin musked -- maybe I just caught the few docile ones, but I wonder about geographical behavioral differences. Also, the hooding (and tail rattling, faux striking, death feigning) is still cool when you're not a kid anymore.
I was looking more to know about how captive animals respond to such regimens if there was any information available from keepers who had kept the same specimens under each heating schedule for an extended period of time (a full breeding cycle, at least) and could see any changes in outcomes. Skepticism about simply reproducing wild conditions has a lot of observational support; for example, my pregnant rosy boas are currently all thermoregulating to the mid 90s (35C) 24/7, but if they preferred a night drop they'd move onto the cool side at night since that's about the same temp as current overnight temps throughout much of their native range.
@Vykingwulf , none of the few eastern hogs I've caught here in Wisconsin musked -- maybe I just caught the few docile ones, but I wonder about geographical behavioral differences. Also, the hooding (and tail rattling, faux striking, death feigning) is still cool when you're not a kid anymore.
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