Quick snake question - please help!

[Arachnida]

Alright. Well, I bought a small/young western hognosed snake a couple days ago, and noticed something that might be a problem.
I've got the snake in a 5 gallon glass aquarium tank. He spends most of his waking hours moving around the 4 'walls' of the tank, pressing his nose up against the glass in the process.
I remember reading something about this behavior years ago, and how it can result in injury (ie: nose becomes sore and bloody).
If this behavior really is cause for concern, I was wondering if anyone knew how to fix the problem. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Iktomi]

How big is the snake? I'm assuming he's little, living in a 5 gallon. If that is the case, I would give it a little time to acclimate to it's new environment. It's probably quite naturally looking for an escape, so I'd leave it alone for a few days and let it get comfy. Then see if it "chills" out a bit.

 

[Phillip]

Hogs can be bad about this behavior if you don't allow them to burrow as they have a very strong tendency to do. The best solution is to keep it on a couple of inches of aspen and it will bury itself and feel secure rather than trying to dig through the glass which is what it is most likely doing.

Still they aren't prone to abrasions since they are designed for plowing through the substrate but allowing it to burrow will go a long way towards calming it down and making it feed on a regular schedule.

Phil

 

[OldHag]

Phil hit it on the nose!! I had a Kenyan Sand boa that did that same thing until I put it in about 3 inches of crushed walnutshell. Now it only comes out when its hungry or I dig it out. Those burrowing reptiles will NOT rest until they can burrow.
Michelle

 

[Phillip]

Don't you mean Phil hit it on the Hog Nose?

Sorry couldn't pass that one up.


Phil

 

[Arachnida]

Hey, thanks for the tips, everyone.
Iktomi: Yeah, he is still pretty small. I'd say 6 inches tops.
Phillip: I do actually have him on aspen shavings. I'd say maybe 2 inches or so. I guess my best bet would be to buy some more and put another 2 inches down.
As a side question: I got the shaving I am using now from Regal Reptiles, which is pretty far from my house. Do you (or anyone else) know where I can buy some more? Are the "aspen" shavings you can buy in a pet store (those most often used for hamsters, rats, etc) OK to use?

Thanks again.