Southern hognose snake (Heterodon simus)

Short answers

Southern hognose snake: How big does the enclosure need to be?

60×40×40 cm.

Southern hognose snake: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 24–30 °C, basking spot 32 °C, at night 18–22 °C.

Southern hognose snake: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Not required.

Southern hognose snake: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 10–15 years.

Southern hognose snake: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

24–30 °C

Night temperature

18–22 °C

Basking spot

32 °C

Humidity

45–60 %

UVB

Not required

Enclosure

Minimum size

60×40×40 cm

Substrate

Sand-loam 8–12 cm for digging, leaf litter, a cork hide

Feeding

Food

A SPECIALIST: it prefers toads; switching it to frozen-thawed mice is often difficult

Feeding interval

1×/week

Key facts

Adult size

35–50 cm

Life expectancy

10–15 years

Origin

The south-eastern USA

Protection status

Protected in several US states; IUCN "Vulnerable" – captive-bred animals only

Brumation

A winter rest of 10–14 weeks at 10–15 °C

Cohabitation

Keep them singly. Snakes are solitary and do not seek company — a shared hide is competition for the best spot, not social behaviour. The concrete reason is the feeding accident: if two animals grab the same food item, one can swallow the other along with it. On top of that, once they are kept together you can no longer tell which animal has eaten and which is losing weight. For breeding, put them together under supervision and separate them again afterwards.

Notes

The smallest hognose. A pronounced toad specialist – many animals refuse rodents permanently, which makes keeping it markedly harder. Before buying, clarify what the animal is already established on.

Do you keep this species?

Add your animal to Reptoria – Reptoria reminds you about feeding and shedding. Add your animal for free →

Look for Southern hognose snake (Heterodon simus) in the marketplace →

Related species

• Mexican hognose snake (Heterodon kennerlyi) – Beginner
• Eastern hognose snake (Heterodon platirhinos) – Intermediate
• Western hognose snake (Heterodon nasicus) – Beginner
• Blonde hognose snake (Leioheterodon modestus) – Intermediate
• Malagasy giant hognose (Leioheterodon madagascariensis) – Intermediate
• Geay's hognose snake (Leioheterodon geayi) – Intermediate
• Tricolor hognose snake (Xenodon pulcher) – Intermediate
• Common egg-eating snake (Dasypeltis scabra) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Southern hognose snake (Heterodon simus) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (60×40×40 cm), substrate (Sand-loam 8–12 cm for digging, leaf litter, a cork hide), a heat source with a thermostat, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.