Hognose Structure Analysis (HSA)
Jeff Galewood Jr.'s 1-10 system for rating head and body structure
Most conversations about hognose quality are about color and pattern. Jeff Galewood Jr. of JMG Reptile scores something else, the animal's structure, and he does it on a scale, consistently, across his collection.
He calls it HSA. In his words:
HSA, "hognose structure analysis". A rating system that has a scale to determine the health and quality of your hognose's body structure. While this mostly pertains to the hognose's head structure, I also apply it to overall body structure, including the tail shape / build as well.
The benchmark is the wild animal
Ideally we should strive for captive Plains hognose with anatomical structure that resembles wild hognose. A good visual scale is to look at wild plains hognose photos. Herping sites and websites where people upload wild specimens are excellent sources to use for comparison.
This is the part that makes the system work. Without a reference outside your own collection, "normal" quietly becomes whatever you already keep.
What gets scored
I rate them from 1 - 10 for head structure. Points are based off eye size, rostral scale shape, overall scales, length of the head, distance from nose tip to eye, width of the head, and angle of the snake's overall head structure.
In the animal above, one Jeff rates close to a 10, the rostral scale is wide and broad, the supraocular scales overhang the eye, and eye size, head width and length, and the distance from the rostral scale to the eye all sit in proportion.
Working with morphs
While producing all 9s and 10s is impossible when working with morphs, it's a good thing to pay attention to while breeding to produce the healthiest hognose you can.
Structure competes with color, pattern, and genetics for room in a breeding decision, and something gives. The value of a scale is that it makes the trade-off visible instead of accidental.
HSA was developed by Jeff Galewood Jr. of JMG Reptile. Quotes and photos are from his original Instagram post, shared with permission: view the post.