How do YOU brumate?

[bekers71]

I'm just curious to see how you experienced breeders do this. This year was my first year breeding and I did not put any of my snakes in brumation. It was a little tough guessing and constantly putting males with the females but it did wind up working. This year I would like to try and put my bigger snakes up for the winter but I'm worried I will do some thing wrong. I've read the books too but would like to hear from members on here. So here are just a few of my questions:

What weight should they be?
How do you prepare them?
When do you put them down: Nov, Dec, earlier or later?
What do you keep the temp at?
When do you bring them out?

I'm sure I missed some thing so add what ever you like to the list.


Thanks in advance!
:wavey:

 

[TripleMoonsExotic]

I only put males down because I like to make sure my girls have as much (healthy) weight on as possible. Here's how I do things answers to your questions:

What weight should they be?
250g minimum

How do you prepare them?
I don't feed them for 2 weeks to make sure their gut is empty...Then I shut off the heat in their rack for a couple days to get them used to the idea of being cooled...Then they're moved to the basement with plenty of burrowing substrate and a water bowl.

When do you put them down: Nov, Dec, earlier or later?
1st week of December

What do you keep the temp at?
Because I brumate in my dirt basement, it fluctuates based on outside temps. I don't think it gets lower then 55-60 down there. Maybe I'll keep a digital thermometer down there this year to see what the min/max turns out to be.

When do you bring them out?
Valentines Day week



Good topic, btw!

 

[bekers71]

I only put males down....

Thank you for your input. I really appreciate it.

So if you only put down your males, what is your clue or sign that the females are ready to breed in the spring? Do they breed earlier like March/April or closer to June?

Sorry for all the questions.

 

[TripleMoonsExotic]

So if you only put down your males, what is your clue or sign that the females are ready to breed in the spring? Do they breed earlier like March/April or closer to June?

First week of March after males have been warmed up and fed I start pairing them with females. If a female isn't receptive, I pull the male and try again the next week. I usually have all of my eggs laid by the end of May or beginning of June.

 

[bekers71]

No one else care to share??

 

[TripleMoonsExotic]

Yeah, I'd like to see what others do too!
(One of the reasons why I added this thread to the WIR this week)

 

[Blue Apple Herps]

Stephanie, do you really brumate for 3.5 months? I've never heard of anyone doing it for that long.

I personally can only pseudo brumate. It doesn't get lower than 65 or 70 in my house for an extended period of time. So I focus more on a light cycle.

I do just as Stephanie and feed them their last meal and don't feed them for two week so make sure they are fully empty. I then turn off the heat and cover the racks with adults in just some black fabric I got from the fabric store to make it as dark as possible. I check on them once a week to make sure they have clean water.

After about two months I take a couple of days to fully heat them back up (day 1 75º, day 2 77º, etc). When I start to heat them up I take off the fabric so they have normal light. After a couple of days being warmed up I will offer them a smaller than normal meal. After a smaller than normal meal or two I'll start to feed regularly. After they shed I start pairing.

In the past I started brumation early Dec. This year I'm going to try one rack in Dec and start the other rack in Nov so that I have a month in between clutches hatching all at once. Hope this helps.

 

[TripleMoonsExotic]

Stephanie, do you really brumate for 3.5 months? I've never heard of anyone doing it for that long.

Hah hah! You're right! That should say December, not November.

I guess I was thinking that I want to put them down the first week of November this year because the baby's due the 31st of October...and that would change my usual schedule.

 

[Blue Apple Herps]

Hah hah! You're right! That should say December, not November.

I guess I was thinking that I want to put them down the first week of November this year because the baby's due the 31st of October...and that would change my usual schedule.

That makes more sense!! And you're really going to have your hands full this year! Dealing with hatchling corns makes me crazy enough; I can't even imagine a baby as well! Good luck thouhg!

 

[Drizzt80]

No one else care to share??

Sorry, I just saw the thread!

So here are just a few of my questions:

What weight should they be?
Females at 300+ grams and males at 260+ grams go into brumation for me.

How do you prepare them?
They get their last meal 3 weeks out from brumation. They are "starved" for 2 weeks. 1 week out I turn off their heat source to adjust them to room temperature. They are then put into cupboards on an outside wall (in my classroom).

When do you put them down: Nov, Dec, earlier or later?
Last meal is generally mid/early October . . . so soon!! :eek1:

What do you keep the temp at?
They fluctuate from 50* to 60*F. Average of 55*F.

When do you bring them out?
10 weeks after they are placed in the cupboards. They get a week at room temperature back in their cages. They get a 3-4 days at 80*F, and then their first meal.

(One of the reasons why I added this thread to the WIR this week)

FYI, it (the thread) is located in the Insider's Club . . . maybe it will generate another contributor or two!


D80

 

[Nanci]

First week of March after males have been warmed up and fed I start pairing them with females. If a female isn't receptive, I pull the male and try again the next week.

Do you put the male in with the female, or both in a new container? How long does she get to decide- hours, days?

 

[El Jefe]

I let them all go into the wilderness and then collect them again sometime in March/April when it warms up and they come out of hibernation......



Well...it would be fun, wouldn't it?


Here is the real story with some info borrow from above posts as I do the same thing in some areas....

What weight should they be?
250g minimum for most females (miami phase and others may be a little less); 200g for males

How do you prepare them?
I don't feed them for 2 weeks to make sure their gut is empty. Then I shut off the heat in their rack for a couple days to get them used to the idea of being cooled. After this initial cool down I turn off the lights and open the windows a crack and let the cool air come in. (See below for temperature regulation, etc...)

When do you put them down: Nov, Dec, earlier or later?

Some time in November...some years in early Nov, some years right around Thanksgiving.

What do you keep the temp at?
Since I have a snake facility and live in South Carolina, I open the windows to get the cool air. Let it be noted I do cover the windows with dark material or something to minimize light coming in but still let the cold air come in. Throughout the winter I adjust the amount of window opening to adjust temperature inside the building....i.e. open it a lot if it is only cool outside and close it if there is a bad cold front. Since one third of the building is warm for my pythons, boas, and others and there is only a 3 inch think styrofoam wall between colubrids and pythons, some of the heat diffuses through which also helps maintain the cooler temperature but not too cold. Like the other posts, I aim for 55 but it can go from high 40's to low 60's.

When do you bring them out?
Beginning of February sometime depending on when they went down. When coming up, I close windows-wait a few days-turn rack heat on-wait a few days-turn building heat on-wait a few days-then start feeding (approx 7-10 days post close windows). I try to prepare most of my babies to go to the Daytona Show so I can't push it much beyond beginning Feb or I won't get enough meals to go to Daytona. The way I figure...up by Feb, shedding/breeding in March, eggs in May, and hatching in July with the show at the end of August. Of course the snakes don't always want to agree with my schedule and that is why I'm still hatching things! But 85% probably go on my schedule.

 

[bekers71]

Brent and Jeff thanks for you input too.

Do you put the male in with the female, or both in a new container? How long does she get to decide- hours, days?

Good question. I wondered that my self.

 

[TripleMoonsExotic]

Do you put the male in with the female, or both in a new container? How long does she get to decide- hours, days?

Female in with the male. I've noticed males will be more attentive to breeding if you put a female in their home as opposed to the male somewhere new. Their also is no way to tell you how long it takes for the ladies to be receptive, every female is different. I leave them together for roughly 12 hours, checking them every 30 minutes to an hour for breeding activity. If breeding is witnessed, it gets written down. At the end of those 12 hours (or once witnessed breeding is completed) they are separated and paired again the next week the same way. After three consecutive witnessed breeding's, I assume the girls are gravid and they're left alone.

 

[Nanci]

How often do you check on them?

Do you offer water?

What would cause you to pull a snake out of brumation early, if anything?

 

[TripleMoonsExotic]

Wasn't sure who these questions were directed at, but...

How often do you check on them?
Weekly.

Do you offer water?
I already stated that I do.

What would cause you to pull a snake out of brumation early, if anything?
If it were deceased (I've had it happen).

 

[El Jefe]

For the pairing question....females in with males.

The other Q's:


How often do you check on them?

Every couple of weeks or so.

Do you offer water?

Yes, full water dish that is cleaned when I check on them.

What would cause you to pull a snake out of brumation early, if anything?

Not much. If they are iffy before brumation they aren't brumated. I've never pulled one from brumation but I would if I noticed odd breathing problems or other non-normal behaviors.

 

[El Jefe]

What would cause you to pull a snake out of brumation early, if anything?
If it were deceased (I've had it happen).

Okay, I change my previous statement. I have pulled deceased ones from brumation but never pulled a live one out. Death during brumation doesn't happen often but every once in a while it will just be too much for an otherwise perfectly healthy snake.

And...FYI, a lot of field researchers (myself included) have noticed a significant portion of deaths are right before, during, and right after hibernation. It takes a toll on the herps to do make their bodies go inactive.

 

[Blue Apple Herps]

Do you put the male in with the female, or both in a new container? How long does she get to decide- hours, days?

I personally put them in a separate "love tub" lined with news paper. The ones that are ready will go right at it. Ones that take little while I leave o/n and check on them in the morning. I put down news paper for a substrate so I can check for "evidence" if I didn't witness the actual lock.

I only put them together o/n for the longest time. If they don't do the deed, I try again in a week. The ones that go right at it don't take very long, so once they're done I separate them and put them together again in three days.

 

[bekers71]

One other question: When feeding before brumation; how often do you feed? A regular 7 day schedule? And do you give extra food at those feeding times?