-
Hello!
Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.
Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....
Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.
Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.
How do you Brumate/Hibernate a Snake?
- Thread starter Spitfire
- Start date
Chip
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒ&
Spitfire
In our hobby, yes, they have the same meaning. The proper term for what we are doing is brumation. I wouldn't brumate any snake I wasn't planning to breed, personally. I just can't think of a good reason to brumate a "pet." It's pretty simple in my climate. I simply keep a room of my house closed off and don't heat it, and put each adult snake to be brumated into a rubbermaid bin with only a hide and a waterbowl. I check them once a week or so to give water (and make sure none are soaking constantly). No food, no light, around 50 degrees F, for ten weeks or so (often much less), and warm them all up slowly by heating the room slightly for a week, then move them right back to the snake room at 80. They eat readily and shed very soon, at which point I begin pairing them up. This is just my method, but it's worked for many years with scores of snakes. I also brumate hatchlings who are problem feeders with good success.
In our hobby, yes, they have the same meaning. The proper term for what we are doing is brumation. I wouldn't brumate any snake I wasn't planning to breed, personally. I just can't think of a good reason to brumate a "pet." It's pretty simple in my climate. I simply keep a room of my house closed off and don't heat it, and put each adult snake to be brumated into a rubbermaid bin with only a hide and a waterbowl. I check them once a week or so to give water (and make sure none are soaking constantly). No food, no light, around 50 degrees F, for ten weeks or so (often much less), and warm them all up slowly by heating the room slightly for a week, then move them right back to the snake room at 80. They eat readily and shed very soon, at which point I begin pairing them up. This is just my method, but it's worked for many years with scores of snakes. I also brumate hatchlings who are problem feeders with good success.
Chip
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒ&
oh, gosh!
No, you dont HAVE to brumate to breed. I suggest doing it, and practice it personally. I don't want to get in that debate, though. Plenty of old threads on the topic, for that matter the CSM covers it, to my recollection. If you live in too hot of a climate to do so, you will still breed colubrid snakes.
As for the temp change, I am far from scientific about it. Stop feeding, move them into brumation room, cut off heat to room, it gradually cools. I keep a good digital thermometer on top of the cages to keep an eye on things. Open a window on evenings of warmer days if the room temp creeps into the lower 70s to cool things off. It's the kind of thing that gets you up in the middle of the night the first time you do it, but you have to remind yourself to check on them after a few years! They are pretty tough creatures if in good shape when going down for the nap.
No, you dont HAVE to brumate to breed. I suggest doing it, and practice it personally. I don't want to get in that debate, though. Plenty of old threads on the topic, for that matter the CSM covers it, to my recollection. If you live in too hot of a climate to do so, you will still breed colubrid snakes.
As for the temp change, I am far from scientific about it. Stop feeding, move them into brumation room, cut off heat to room, it gradually cools. I keep a good digital thermometer on top of the cages to keep an eye on things. Open a window on evenings of warmer days if the room temp creeps into the lower 70s to cool things off. It's the kind of thing that gets you up in the middle of the night the first time you do it, but you have to remind yourself to check on them after a few years! They are pretty tough creatures if in good shape when going down for the nap.