Hognose snakes: an enriched terrarium can literally change the size of its brain
Published by Planète Pets · managing editor: Clément Lacaille · how our guides are written
The western hognose snake has no dedicated species profile on Planète Pets, but a Canadian study published in 2025 on this species is worth knowing for any reptile keeper: it measures, MRI in hand, a concrete effect of enrichment on brain anatomy. Our terrarium enrichment guidance is gathered in the reptile toys and enrichment section.
A brain-imaging study after a year of enrichment
Gokulan Nagabaskaran, Vijay Moonilal, Morgan Skinner and Noam Miller published a study in 2025, in the Journal of Comparative Neurology, on the effects of environmental enrichment on brain volume in western hognose snakes (Heterodon nasicus) (see the study). Fifteen snakes were individually housed for one year, either in a standard or an enriched terrarium, before their brains were imaged by MRI.
What the imaging shows
Snakes housed in enriched terrariums had significantly larger brain volumes than those in standard terrariums, with the gap most pronounced in the posterior brain regions. The researchers also noted an effect of growth and sex: as the snakes grew larger, males developed relatively larger cerebral hemispheres, while females developed relatively larger posterior brain regions.
- Treat enrichment as a long-term investment: the effect measured here spans a full year of housing, not a few weeks of novelty in the terrarium.
- Don't reduce snake enrichment to a matter of comfort: this study documents a measurable anatomical change, not just more "active-looking" behaviour on the surface.
- Keep enrichment stable over time (multiple hides, terrain features, diggable substrate) rather than refreshing it once and then going back to a bare enclosure.
This finding lines up with and extends our existing guidance on the western hognose snake's growing behavioural preference for an enriched terrarium, which already showed a preference that strengthened over time.
Frequently asked questions
Does this result apply to all terrarium snakes?
The study focuses specifically on the western hognose snake; the underlying principle of brain plasticity linked to environmental stimulation is documented in other vertebrates, but its exact scale still needs checking species by species.
Can an adult snake still benefit from enrichment?
The fifteen snakes in the study weren't newborns, which suggests the effect isn't limited to the very earliest stages of development, though the study didn't compare different starting ages.
Does the terrarium need to be highly complex to get this effect?
The study doesn't set a minimum complexity threshold; what seems to matter most is the lasting presence of enriched elements rather than a dramatic setup. Find all our guides on the reptile hub.
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This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Reptiles universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.