Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I searched around a bit to see if there was an answer to this question without having to post a topic, but if I did in fact miss a thread on it I apologize.

Anyways my basic question is if you don't plan on breeding your kingsnake is hibernation and cooling down still essential to keeping them in good health? This is one thing I'm just really stumped on, this sounds like such a novice question so I'm sorry if I come off as being uneducated in herps. but any help would be appreciated.

Oh the snake is a mole kingsnake of pender county NC locale.

thanks in advance.

I brumate all my snakes, except a few babies that will be future breeders. I keep those warm their first winter. Otherwise ALL my snakes get brumated. I live at 5,000 ft here in the mountains of Arizona and we do get winters up here. So for snakes in the wild in my area of the state do get a longer brumation in the wild than down in the desert at approx: 1,000 ft. In southern Arizona it stays warmer longer and snakes can be active longer. Also brumation activity differs from specie to specie.

In captive breeding, does it affect the snake if they are never brumated?

I brumate mine and it gives me the needed 4 month break.

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

You do not have to brumate or hibernate to breed them or otherwise. That is merely a manmade misconception.

Reptiles require a range of temps to complete their lifes, that is what makes them different then mammals. Left to their own(in nature) their lifes are nothing but making temperature choices. Their lifes in moving from one condition to another.

If you allow your snakes/lizards/torts, etc, a relatively small range of temps. They not only breed on their own, but they WORK and LIVE, longer and healthier.

For instance, if you keep snakes are a room temp of 65F and have part of the cage(basking area) around 100F. And(an important and) They have the ability to move to and away from both, YOU as a keeper only have to feed/water them when they are hungry and clean cages. Then you can sit back and enjoy the animals for what they are. You know, to watch them use their own nature and inherent abilities.

You do not have to do everything for them. I, as an example have kept and bred generations upon generations of various reptiles for many many decades. Many many of those species were thought by unaware people to "REQUIRE" hibernation. Many many, of those species were world first breedings, yet, I did not hibernate them.

You see, reptiles normally "REQUIRE" cool to conserve energy, and warm to "USE/EXPEND" energy. So naive keepers get the idea that reptiles do not know how to do this. So they do it for them. The "TRUTH" is, they, the reptiles are indeed expert are regulating their own temps, IF GIVIN the oppertunity.

To answer you question, you do not have to hibernate your snake. But it would help you to understand that your snake "normally" picks a range of temps to lead a normal life.

With kingsnakes, its only a small range, 55F to 65F cool, and 85F to 100F warm side. Of course, snakes rarely elevate their body temps over 85F, but their are two REAL values to allow them to achieve hotter temps then normally needed. One is, they use higher temps to increase or build up their immune system. And two, they use hotter temps to break down large prey items. They only need these higher(higher then 85F) for short periods. These are only two examples, there are many more.

Many keepers somehow feel the need to narrow the temp range to a horrifying average. You know, a temp where they work, but not all that well. Please consider, this is about the keepers and not the animals. Theres nothing wrong with it, but again, its not really about the animals.

I hope this helps and no offense to those whos toes feel stepped on. Cheers

Nice to have you back to stir things up Frank.

I feel like I've read this post before. Oh wait I have... every year this forum has the same exact hibernation debate. Seriously you should just save this one and repost it next year and every year after that.

HAHA

cheers

Welcome back and use steel toes on my toes. lol! Nice to hear from you Frank, where the heck ya been? A ton of people have left the forum and a whole herd of initiates are here for some good stuff! How's the gophers? Best wishes
Todd Hughes

Well, I got put in time out(banned) for what I have no idea, and they do not tell you either(I asked) So I said, heck with these people(used other words) I did not say it to anyone in particular. But the current wave of mods are lost in the wilderness(Lost, james brown) I was banned for a week or so, the rest of the time was on them. I went about my herping as usual.

The gophers were interesting this summer, I found both adults several times and fed them during the summer. Not often, Just three or four times each. I will call these resident gophers. They are always been near where I fed them in the winter, but I did track one about 100 feet, and back.

I did see many many many, oh maybe forty or fifty transient individual gophers all around my property.

Heck this last week there has been a mass movement of young ones, they are still crossing the roads at night and in the day,(like crazy). Little gophers, and diamondbacks of the same age are all over the place. Saw a coral today crossing the road mid-mourning.

The larger gophers are holed up, close to the surface. Cheers

always a pleasure! Post up some pics of your summer "vacation" when you get a chance!
Todd Hughes