A species in the hobby few have kept let alone bred in captivity, Riley Jimison tells us about his journey with this interesting and unique species!
With thousands of reptiles in our hobby, the rudimentary and popular animals tend to drive folks out into left field in search of a unique and lesser known species or subspecies in order to spice up their lives. The morph craze can leave many people dizzy and looking back to the basics of simply finding a species they enjoy for its personality and unusual attributes.
Leioheterodon brings all of that to the table with a sassy slap of a wake-up call. Of the three species of Hognose Snakes found in Madagascar, the Malagasy or Madagascar Giant Hognose Snakes (Leioheterodon madagascariensis) provide this awakening to those who stumble through the tornado of mainstream looking for something with enough attitude to catch the attention of even venomous keepers and others looking for a challenge. These snakes leave an impression on those fortunate enough to have even the briefest of encounters with one.
Obscurity is often followed by an absence of information or little and contradictory details by those few who maintain the oddball reptile in their population. The Madagascar Giant Hognose Snakes have thus far been reputed to be a difficult species to breed with very little published information available to people quick enough to snag an imported specimen, as is what is typically all that is available.
Despite some very minimal breeding around the world, a lack of concrete methodology to this propagation is available to those looking to push this species into the hobby with any sort of emphasis. It is my intent here to detail my methods and observations to break down these barriers in order to give this bold group of colubrids their spot in the limelight.
During my research I came across in-situ research findings detailing communal nest guarding behavior and an overall island-wide abundance of Madagascar Giant Hognose. The island boasts various elevations, two prominent seasons (wet and dry), and a significant temperature swing. If these snakes are found throughout nearly 90% of the island as has been deduced, they seem to be very hardy animals. But if keepers have reported difficulty in reproducing them, what factors would be holding them back?
They appear to tolerate day-time highs and lows like what our North American colubrids endure. Although they find themselves in a much more humid climate, they appear to tolerate whatever is thrown at them. So why are they not more frequently reproduced in captivity? It is my sincere belief that the misguided and regurgitated taboo of cohabitation binds keepers’ minds from the success they seek.
These snakes are documented to share burrows and nest dens. They are prominent throughout the island. They are even listed by the IUCN Red List (International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species) as “least concern” and otherwise stable. If nature has them dialed in and they can withstand severe deforestation and human encroachment, why can devoted reptile keepers with access to the internet and revolutionary reptile keeping technology not figure them out?
In my experience keeping these giants, they seem to be more comfortable and less stressed by external stimuli when housed communally. Our regurgitation of what he said and what she said has blindfolded us to using the ultimate tool we have always had even before the invention of the internet; our brains. After scanning what few research publications exist on the species, a light went off. They live communally! They are abundant. They share dens. They eat anything. They defy everything your local keyboard warrior has ever proclaimed.
So, I went ahead and did exactly that; I tossed a group together in an enclosure and began to replicate the dual seasonal approach to humidity and food abundance. I also left them undisturbed quite a bit more than any other animals in my collection. What I observed was amazing; less flighty, more apt to feed, more inquisitive animals that tolerated everything in their lives much more than when housed separately. In the end, I succeeded in producing true US Captive Born and Bred Madagascar Giant Hognose Snakes.
I provide my adult group a hot spot of around 88 degrees Fahrenheit. They regularly experience temps in the low 80’s on average around the island as seasonal highs. On the other hand, in the cooler drier season they can experience temperature swings down to the 40’s as well. Their use of insulated dens and burrows that likely hold better temperatures prevent them from prolonged exposure to such harsh temperatures. I allowed them to experience a seasonal “winter” decrease in temps to bring the hot spot down to the mid 70’s at night and a slightly lower day-time high during that season.
In addition to the temperature variation, I allowed their substrate to dry out slightly more to emulate a less humid environment that was provided during their simulated “wet” season. These two variable seasons accompanied a dietary cycle that went from large abundant food during their wet season to a more sparse and smaller prey variety during their cooler months. Beyond that, I let them have their space, checked them several times per week, ensured fresh water was in supply, and watched my smaller female cycle physically up to parturition.
Although I only received a small clutch of eggs (not surprising as my female is not as large as they have been reported to reach), I ended up with three fertile eggs, two of which hatched full-term as healthy babies. The fecundity leaves more to be desired, but the bottom line remains; these snakes need a seasonal cycle, a food cycle, and a keeper who is willing to let them be communal more than other snakes and simply pay attention from a distance.
These snakes have attitude and will quickly and easily stress out when their space is invaded. They seem to thrive with what succulent plant keepers refer to as “benign neglect.” Until we can get several generations into captive bred animals, these snakes will continue to need some slightly different care than other colubrids, but I am confident with a few generations of captive breeding anyone with attention to detail can make more of these wonderful animals. In my opinion, food cycling, seasonal cycling, patience, and space are a keepers’ best friends when attempting to breed Madagascar Giant Hognose Snakes.
Depending on the size of your group, appropriate enclosure space should be provided as these animals tend to be rather messy and active about their enclosures. They really take a keeper who is willing to “feel them out” and tune themselves into their animals.
Conclusion
So, what does the future for Leioheterodon hold? Given the current hobby trends and the fact that these large colubrids are in fact a rear-fanged mildly venomous species, they will likely never be a hobby mainstay.
I foresee them claiming a hold on the reptile hobby in the same way that Scrub Pythons, Locality Boas, and the Mangrove Snakes have in recent years. With how fickle the importation availability is out of Madagascar, we as a community better hope more folks take them seriously and work towards reproducing more at home or we may lose them to the hobby entirely.
“Mad Hogs,” as I affectionately refer to them as, are some of the more unique and exciting snakes that I have had the pleasure of working with and now adding to my resume of species I have produced in captivity. Overall, I consider these snakes a relatively easy species to breed and hatch if you know what to pay attention to and how to read your snakes. It will take devoted keepers to push that opinion into reality. The other two species are just as amazing and beautiful as these giants and I hope, upon reading this lengthy diatribe, you give them a moment of your curiosity and time. Variety is the spice of life and these large colubrids are spicy to say the least! But I am just a python guy, so what do I know?
