Are hognose snakes good pets?

Surprising behaviors

The first time I encountered my friend's hognose, he knew I was about to be surprised. He held the snake out to me, and when I got close and touched it, it hissed and startled me. He didn’t miss a beat. It didn’t scare him at all, and he laughed and said that happens with every new person who meets them.

Some of his baby hognose snakes can be very entertaining, with their hissing and bluff strikes. When they are trying to scare you away, they will pretend to strike at you. They also flatten out their head and body to appear bigger. Not all hognose snakes will be like this, it just depends on the individual's temperament.

Hognose Personality

Hognose snakes are known to be dramatic and hissy. When you approach them, they’ll start hissing and sometimes pretend they’re going to strike, but for the most part, they’re harmless. They just like to make a big show.

If you’re looking for a snake that won’t startle you, the hognose might not be for you. But if you enjoy that personality and think their turned-up nose is cute, you’ll probably like their temperament.

They can be a little trickier to feed than snakes like boas, which usually eat easily without persuasion. Most hognose snakes eat well, but sometimes it takes patience if they’re not in the mood to eat.

Hognose handling

Whether a hognose is good for handling depends on the individual snake’s temperament. My friend has two adults. The female is handleable but sometimes looks like she might strike or bite, and she has envenomated his hand once. The male is calmer and will even snuggle in his hoodie while he sits on the couch.