Reptile & Amphibian Forums

always kept snakes and various reptiles/amphibians. just got into kings in the last few months. my current collection:
1.1.1 northern pacific rattlers
1.1 asian beauty ratsnakes
. .1 bredle python
1. .1 desert king
. .1 wc cal king
.1. goini king
1.1 pueblan milk
1.1 sinaloan milk
. .1 scarlet king
.1. red tegu
. .1 southern painted turtle
I will take some pics of my snake room and post soon. these kings/milks are some of the best looking snakes ever. I'm really excited about them. My rattlers and cal king are wildcaugh, tegu been around for years(4 feet) and the bredle i've had for 4 months. All the other kings and milks are cb babies i ordered from the classifieds.
Anyways, my ??? is should I cool my baby kings and milks for their first winter, or keep them heated and feeding till next winter? I plan on breeding when the time is right.

It's up to you.
Some brumate them their first winter (I think Applegate does but I won't swear to it), some feed to get the extra size.

I think the reason for brumating neonates is to give you, the breeder, some time off of the constant care that they need when warm and feeding. Also some trouble eaters will feed better afterwards.
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3.0 WC; 0.3 CB L. getula californiae
1.0 CB L. getula nigrita
0.1.1 WC; 0.0.3 CH Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

that makes sense, but I love being in the snake room and messing with my snakes. feeding, cleaning, observing are all things I like to do.
but basically if I keep them going thru the winter they will be that much bigger, right?
All of my kings and milks are great eaters and havent refused a pinkie anytime offered, except the sinaloans which just arrived this morning.
Actually, most of the kings and all the milks are babies. A desert and the wc common cal are full adults.

Correct. You do not need to brumate them until the winter before you intend to breed them.
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3.0 WC; 0.3 CB L. getula californiae
1.0 CB L. getula nigrita
0.1.1 WC; 0.0.3 CH Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata