Hognose Pros & Cons

[drpkckmurphy22]

Please list the pros and cons of hognose snakes!!

 

[Starwild]

These are for specifically Western hognose snakes; other types have different requirements.

Pro:

They're small even as adults and don't need a lot of room.
They're cute and fat.
They're something a bit different from other types of commonly-kept pet snakes.
They are easy to keep and handle.
They have fun personalities.
They are generally very docile.
They're inexpensive.
They have interesting behaviors, such as puffing up and flattening the head and neck like a cobra, but are very reluctant to actually bite. Lots of huff and puff but nothing really behind it.

Con:

They do have a mildly toxic saliva, which is considered harmless to humans but might result in a bit of swelling if they tag you. However, they are rear-fanged and will do pretty much anything to avoid having to bite, even to the point of playing dead. When they do strike, it's often with a closed mouth.

They are a bit shy and prefer to burrow into aspen and are not really a display snake.

They are plain in appearance and the morphs are very expensive still.