Axanthic Anaconda het Snow Hognose (Heterodon nasicus)

Common Name: Western Hognose Snake
Scientific Name: Heterodon nasicus
Source: CB
Adult Size: 45–90cm (females typically larger than males)
Native Range: Central North America, from southern Canada through the Great Plains to northern Mexico

Enclosure: A minimum 90×45×45cm Viperia PVC vivarium for adults, with a deep, loose substrate (aspen or play sand/topsoil mix) to allow natural burrowing, a warm hide, a cool hide, and décor such as cork bark and low branches for enrichment
Heating: Basking spot 30–34°C; ambient cool side 22–24°C; night-time drop to 18–20°C is acceptable
Humidity: 30–50% ambient humidity, achieved by lightly misting one side of the enclosure and providing a moist hide filled with damp substrate for shedding
UVB: A 6% UVB tube run along most of the vivarium's width, positioned so the animal can bask 20–30cm from it — while hognose snakes are often most active at dawn and dusk, low-level UVB supports natural behaviour and overall health
Diet: Defrosted mice (or specialist frog-scented rodents for picky juveniles), fed every 5–7 days for juveniles and every 10–14 days for adults; prey should be no wider than the snake's widest body point

ABOUT THIS SPECIES

Western hognose snakes are native to the open grasslands and semi-arid scrublands of central North America, where their distinctively upturned snout is used to dig through sandy soil in search of toads and amphibians. They've earned a devoted following in the UK hobby thanks to their manageable size, incredible range of captive-bred colour morphs, and their famously theatrical defence display — dramatic bluffing, flattening, and even feigning death — that rarely, if ever, leads to an actual bite.

Hognose snakes are an excellent choice for intermediate keepers who want something with real personality and visual impact beyond a standard corn snake. The Toffeebelly Superconda is a particularly striking combination morph, showcasing warm caramel and cream tones with a heavily reduced pattern — a real showcase animal that is just as rewarding to keep as it is to look at.