How much harder is it to take care of a western hognose over a classic "beginner" snake such as a ball python or corn snake? Also, in comparison to those two, how docile are they?

gears-keep-turning:

looks like this one got buried.

I would say Hoggies are an intermediate snake. I believe they are illegal to buy/sell in… Colorado and Georgia. 

They are smaller than a ball or a corn, but they are also a little more sensitive to temperatures and chemicals. [the main ingredient in almost all mite-treatments have been known to kill hoggies] so if you get mites it’s a pain in the ass to get rid of them.

They tend to be a little more hissy if not handled often. They’ll bluff and hiss and sometimes musk you, and the musk does not come out easily and smells like death.

They are also rear fanged venomous, but they have to chew on you to really get anything, but some people have a sensitivity to their venom. Even though they rarely bite, I would classify them as an intermediate snake just for that reason.

They can also be finicky eaters, which is another reason I don’t suggest them for beginners. Sometimes they will just refuse to eat, worse than a ball python in some cases. My Artyom didn’t eat for a good 6 months, no matter what I tried.

In short:

• Would classify them as an intermediate more than beginner
• Won’t be as docile as a ball python, but also more active [in my experience] than a corn. So more in between the two.
• Have venom which people can be sensitive to. But really have to chew on you to get anything in.
• Smaller than a corn or a ball, so easier to house
• Sometimes worse than ball pythons to get eating.
• Sensitivity to chemicals more than other snakes, it seems
• Can get hissy if not handled often and sometimes the bluffing sort of scares people
• They tend to be a little more expensive than the beginner corn or ball python morph.
• Illegal in some states.

I hope I got that all. This is purely my own experience, other hog owners are free to chime in.