Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've got my breeding colony of Hondurans in a basement that stays relatively cool. I have a digital thermometer that records temps fairly consistent in the mid 50's to low 60's. The problem is that this is the first year I lived in the Valley in Southern California and outside temps today as well as yesterday reached the low 80's. I checked the thermometer in the basement and it reached 73 degrees. I peeked under the covers and noticed one of the males out and active. I started their brumation cycle at the end of October and was wondering if I should wait until March 1st (when I usually do it) to warm them back up and begin feeding or should I just start now. It should cool down next week again but then again it is Southern California. Thanks for any help in advance.

I've heard they only really need 2 cool months of brumation in the 50 to 60 range. After heating back up the female will shed twice and is ready she will breed. Remember a couple of breeders feed their hondos in brumation, they probably keep them in the dark but not too cool so they can digest properly. I already have turned the heaters on and I'm fattening up my females. They are going into their first shed stage right now.

Most people cool their snakes from Thanksgiving to Valentine's Day, so you've already cooled them long enough.

There are some breeders here in Cleveland who do not cool their Hondurans at all and feed them throughout the winter - they have good breeding success.

Tim

Third Eye

>>There are some breeders here in Cleveland who do not cool their Hondurans at all and feed them throughout the winter - they have good breeding success.
>>Tim

Hi Tim,

That (no cooldown) is not conventional wisdom, and it's always neat to learn new things about herpetoculture. So it would be of real value if someone gathered facts about that practice: How many do it? What are the actual temps? Is light periodicity changed? (even just from being kept in rooms with windows, where seasonal change means shortened daylight?) What are actual feeding schedules, and do they differ from summer season feeding?

I've talked to a number of people who say they don't brumate. But when pressed, they'll concede yeah, they keep their house at 78 in the summer but 68 in the winter, and yeah, there are windows in the snake room, and yeah, the snakes did seem to eat less frequently in the winter months. All of those are conditions of brumation.

On the other hand, maybe hondurans CAN be kept all winter at 78 or 82 and on 15-hour light cycles and aggressive feeding regimens, and still breed. If that's the case, it needs to be documented and authenticated and incorporated into general husbandry knowledge for the subspecies.

(Tim, you know i trust the info you're passing on, i'm just saying those who are telling you those anecdotal accounts need to be grilled to make sure their stories aren't like many other "snake stories". Or maybe you have confirmed all that.)

peace
terry

Terry,

I agree that it's not conventional wisdom. I also agree that living in Cleveland, you're going to get temperature and light fluctuations that are different in the summer than in the winter.

Having said this, Doug Matuszak (The Boa Basement) is one of the local breeders who feeds his Hondurans throughout the winter. You might want to send him an e-mail with your specific questions - this may add to the "Hondo Database" of knowledge.

I'd also like to point out that I brumate my Hondurans with my other colubrids - I figure "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." But I see Doug's point in getting as much size on his snakes as he can. In the past few years he has produced some really nice stuff.

Tim

.>>Terry,
>>
>>I agree that it's not conventional wisdom. I also agree that living in Cleveland, you're going to get temperature and light fluctuations that are different in the summer than in the winter.
>>
>>Having said this, Doug Matuszak (The Boa Basement) is one of the local breeders who feeds his Hondurans throughout the winter. You might want to send him an e-mail with your specific questions - this may add to the "Hondo Database" of knowledge.
>>
>>I'd also like to point out that I brumate my Hondurans with my other colubrids - I figure "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." But I see Doug's point in getting as much size on his snakes as he can. In the past few years he has produced some really nice stuff.
>>
>>Tim