Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello

A have a leucistic TX rat who after great info from this forum purchased few months ago.
My question is if they "sleep" during the winter months? I ask because the temps are fairly warm (78 air temp in winter I use UTH on one end of tank) but I could put the tank in a cool area. I didnt even think of brumation till few days ago.
He is under a year just a pet I dont breed and prefer not to brumate him ever if thats possible . I also have tons of frozen pinks-hoppers so hope he doesnt brumate lol .

Thanks

You only need to cool them for breeding. I keep mine warm all year long, and they do just fine.

Fantastic . Thank you very much

Keep in mind that even if you keep them warm and active through the winter, some will go off feed for part or all of the period they would normally use for hibernation. My w/c black rat "stayed up" all winter but simply refused feed from late September until late March. He has eaten regularly sine then, but I am watching to see what he does this year. Their body clocks have been running for millions of years, and it's not surprising that even those snakes that do not go to sleep for winter would adopt some behaviors associated with hibernation.

...Especially if they are exposed to "natural" photoperiods. My snakes always get a day/night cycle that is mostly natural light. Most of my larger ratsnakes start refusing meals in the fall. Many of them will accept smaller meals, less often throughout the winter if I don't turn off the heat. Last year I just shut the whole thing down for a couple of months.

If you choose to keep them warm & active all year...Simply do not worry if/when they stop feeding. Try downsizing meals (smaller prey). If mine refuse all food for a month or so, I will often cool them just to cycle them back up into feeding mode. The younger/smaller ones (and most of my corns) seem willing to feed all year. The larger ratsnakes often don't, and them really don't need to. Duffy

Yes I have had snakes go off feed for a month tops in winter which is nothing but OUCH you went a long time.

I am contemplating a cool 60s temp in basement for winter rest as my rat collection gets bigger as seems most do prefer rest for couple months during winter and I imagine might even do better.

I dont breed anything so prefer not doing that as just easier not to but might be good idea as looking into albino yellow rats to . Thats the problem with the classifieds lol . You look at the pics next thing you know snake arrives overnight Fed ex lol.

I do believe all snakes “cycle” no matter what we do. They will usually eat all year if temps are right and they are still active. Warmer weather types like our south Florida Brooks never really brumate like you think of with northern types, but there is a natural cycle of food availability, different humidity levels and rainy season. Those things seem to be the same as the northern brumation for the cycling/breeding season to be triggered. Then they go off feed. Might be a natural thing with snake eaters so they breed instead of kill each other. If the males aren’t eating and crawling around like crazy, they are looking for a female. Especially if you’ve got a cycling female in the room somewhere and they pick it up (and they will) I think the urge drives them a little crazy and they can’t even think about food. Thats when your cage better be escape proof too.