Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello
My Thayeri was born during the summer early summer. He was eating very well and overall doing great. About a month ago he ate 3 large pinkies in one feeding.
He was eating around 2 to 3 pinkies a week more or less . He than began to just hide under his hide area in the cool side of his tank .
The warm side of tank has black light incandescent spot light over it (tank is 15 gallon long) The air temp in warm side is air temp 82. The cooler side of tank is 75 .

Hide areas on both sides but he diesnt go in warm side in last month .
He seems like he wants to brumate. He has gone to bathroom since he last ate .
I was wondering if I should just shut off the heat and put the tank in my basement 65 degrees for a month .
His body mass is good .
Any advice,suggestions would be great. He looks good but I can tell he has no desire to eat wants to rest .
Thanks

Rita

It's a little late in the year to be starting brumation. Does he still eat? If he is, the hot side of the cage may just be too warm for him. What kind of thermometer/device are you useing to check the cage temps? If the temps are accurate and he's eating still, then I wouldn't sweat it. That is why we give them a thermal gradient, so they can decide what temp is best. Good luck!
-Phil

He hasnt eaten in a month . I use those round zoo med type temp gauges that are round and stick to inside of cage .
One is placed at one end of tank the other placed on other side so each is around 26 inches apart.
I was thinking of brumating him for a month ?

My Thayeri tends to stay in his hide most of the day, til the heat lamp goes off (day/night cycle timer), then he strolls around the cage for a little while. After eating, he usually doesn't move much period, for a couple days.

I think I read in one of the caresheets that Thayeri are dawn/dusk hunters, which so far holds true to what mine does...

Kevin

Mine does same thing hides during day but as a whole out a lot not every day but every other day or so.
He usually is out from like midnight till 6am or so and enjoys hanging draped over a log I have in the tank.
What is your air temp during the day and your air temp at night ?
I ask because might lower mine at night . Its the same 24/7 82 warm side and 74/75 cool side .

Mine is a little on the cool side during the day, at like 77-80, at night it gets into the high 60s (67-69). I had an UTH on the warm-side, but he very rarely, if ever, went over there, so i decided to unplug it completely. Temps never changed! weird...but now he'll go over there. I used an oven thermometer probe to measure the temp of the sand (calci-sand) over the UTH, and it was over 100!. Anyway, with the UTH unplugged, he seems alot happier.

those are overall temps in the middle of the enclosure (it's 18"x18"x18", only 1 thermometer right now. Also, I just put a layer of aspen chips over the sand, so he can burrow if he wants, which he does. So I might be taking the sand out completely, and see how the UTH does without the sand holding all the heat.

In this pic, the UTH was in the top-left corner.

Kevin

Posted by: kdblack at Mon Feb 13 10:01:01 2006 [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ]

Mine is a little on the cool side during the day, at like 77-80, at night it gets into the high 60s (67-69). I had an UTH on the warm-side, but he very rarely, if ever, went over there, so i decided to unplug it completely. Temps never changed! weird...but now he'll go over there. I used an oven thermometer probe to measure the temp of the sand (calci-sand) over the UTH, and it was over 100!. Anyway, with the UTH unplugged, he seems alot happier.

I decided to brumate him for roughly 30 days or so than it does get warmer naturally in my state. I will slowly bring him out of it than. Its funny how yours is active at high 60s at night . I have a feeling these snakes prefer it bit cooler than lots kigs do.
Thats a good drop in temp from day to night but yours seems to like it. I know drop in temp is normal in their climate.
I never let mine get below 74 as I read not to for digesting food but yours does fine at lower temps and I see lots here do to.
Since mine wont eat but looking good I decided to start lowering temps today for a month .
thanks

Rita, You can do that. It most likely is a good idea at this point. As long as you are sure he has'nt eaten in a month. You could even put him at lower temps than 65. Cover his cage with blanket or something and bring him out when weather starts to warm up. Just make sure he is dry and has clean water. mike bod

Posted by: pikiemikie at Mon Feb 13 15:15:54 2006 [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ]

Rita, You can do that. It most likely is a good idea at this point. As long as you are sure he has'nt eaten in a month. You could even put him at lower temps than 65. Cover his cage with blanket or something and bring him out when weather starts to warm up. Just make sure he is dry and has clean water. mike bod

Thanks a lot for the great advice . I am going to do it today going to slowly drop the temp in next 3 days few degrees every 12 hours and brumate him in my basement till mid/late March .
He hasnt eaten in a month and though looks good he wants to sleep .