Reptile & Amphibian Forums

In the past I have always just unplugged my cages and let the animals cool to room temp, (about 65) for a few weeks. They go into their humidity chamber or under their favorite hide and generally don't move. The first kings are just starting to refuse food this past week, and I am thinking about changing my usual plans.

This year I have a few juvis that I want to move up into adult cages, so I was thinkning about removing my adults and brumating them in smaller tubs. This would give me all winter to finish some new racks.

What are your thoughts on this. Who brunmates in cages and who uses separate containers? How do you set up your tubs?

cheers

I shut them down this year at the beginning of October. I keep the heat up for 2 weeks after their last feed, then shut the heat off. Depending upon the outside temps, the snake room slowly drops.

I keep them (adults & babies) in the same cage when brumating. Why change them?

Kerby...
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Lonesome Valley Reptiles
www.lonesomevalleyreptiles.com
Specializing In California Kingsnakes

I use a closet on the outside wall of my house, i only have a pair of thayeri to breed for this year, so i just wait for the temps to drop in that closet, let there systems clear and put them in the closet in their normal container. i monitor the temps with a max/min digi thermometer, and when it cant keep it under 65 i pull them. it worked really well out west, now that i am back on the east coast i am hoping for the same success

adam
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2.3 THAYERI (1.1 added soon)
1.2 SPLENDIDA (1.0 ALBINO/ 0.2 HYPO)
1.3 ALTERNA

0.1.1 pyxie
0.0.2 horned frogs

I leave them all in the same tanks. I use a light dimmer to control the temps. Does anyone else do this?

In my opinion, if the snakes breed, then the brumation technique was acceptable.

I used to have access to a cold room where I could brumate some snakes. Because of space constraints, I'd put several garter snakes in a 16x12x8 inch sweater box and a pair of 5 foot bullsnakes in a 20 gallon aquarium. All setups included newspaper on the floor, a hiding box, and a water bowl.

The snakes were held for two weeks without food at activity temperature to clear the gut and two weeks at 65-70 F. Then the snakes were moved from their regular cages to the hibernation setups, held for 2 weeks at 55 F, and then dropped to 40-50 F for two months. Water was replaced weekly.

This worked for me. No fatalitites and plenty of eggs/babies. As far as I know, a similar setup could be used for king snakes, though temperature would need to be adjusted to what is best for kings.

Paul Hollander