Lump in near Tail on H. platirhinos (Eastern Hog Nose) Help?

[dtknow]

I think it is all on topic now that the lump issue has been resolved. I for one am interested in more anecdotal evidence.

Eastern hognoses do not exist solely on toads in the wild...though toads and more rarely frogs form a big part of their diet...more than 50%. (lizards, eggs, and occasionally warm blooded vertebrates may be taken...some sources claim insects are eaten too but I wonder if these are merely insects eaten by the prey themselves.)

Western hognose snakes are less specialized than Easterns. I can see a possible difference between the two. For one, the Western has a much more upturned snout for digging and frequently feeds on eggs of lizards/turtles...whereas Easterns for the most part eat toads.

 

[flamesbane]

This is were I had read about the fatty liver disease, they have some books they cited listed at the bottom...does anybody own any of them?
http://web.archive.org/web/20030819201525/hognose.com/pages/care/east.htm

According to some things I am reading, mice contain much more fat than toads and westerns are more capable of metabolizing it than easterns...

 

[dtknow]

I saw that site to and it prompted my question. Honestly none of those books look likely to have that tidbit. It looks like anecdotal evidence(perhaps someone's hoggie died after being converted to mice? Or maybe a bit more conclusive someone had a hognose autopsied and it showed fatty liver disease or similar)? However, the same could be caused by pure overfeeding. Mice are likely more calorie-dense. Thus I'd have to ask David Beard to cite his source(s) for that particularly firm claim. (as well as the others in this thread...I can do so if you wish)

This has been documented in monitors, but a goodly number of snakes that normally eat a varied diet in the wild are converted to solely mice in captivity with no issues. Amphibians-mice may be a bit of a leap though.

 

[ThomasH]

This is were I had read about the fatty liver disease, they have some books they cited listed at the bottom...does anybody own any of them?
http://web.archive.org/web/20030819201525/hognose.com/pages/care/east.htm

According to some things I am reading, mice contain much more fat than toads and westerns are more capable of metabolizing it than easterns...

I don't know about that source. Seems a little 'shady' to me in just the bit I read.

TBH

 

[flamesbane]

I don't know about that source. Seems a little 'shady' to me in just the bit I read.

TBH

Right, that is why I asked if anyone had any of the references that are cited...it didn't really look legit, it is just were I remember reading it.