Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just wondering when you all put your animals down? ANd please be specfic when you describe the whole procedure for start to finish. I'm thinking of trying something different this coming season so any help will help.
God Bless
Chris

Captive Bred Reps BY: CHRIS FLOWERS

Mother nature seems to have been freaking out over the past couple years, so it doesn't even get cold here until December/January.

When it starts to get cold outside, and it actually stays cold, I stop feeding the snakes. I give them lots of water... No food...

I usually then wait 3 weeks, and transfer them from the snake room to a closet in the attic. It's about 20 degrees in the attic usually, but 50 degrees in the closet.

They are there until April most of the time, or I'll bring some out in March to give them a jump start.

-----
Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
www.kingpinreptiles.com
^ Updated 7/21

I turn the temps down a bit when the winter air arrives. I turn the heat up when the spring flowers begin to bud and i feed them more then..

Snakes seem to know what is going on outside. Thats why I don't like heating my snakes up in feburary to 85F like a lot of breeders do. But I live in Georgia so i would think if you lived in Wisconsin or somehwere, it might be a bit difficult to follow my advice and go by the weather outside.

But seriosly, I don't REALLY brumate anyway. I just turn down the heat a notch in Dec. and the snakes still feed during the winter. If they are hungry they will eat and sit on the warm side for a few days and then they crawl to the front and sit in the cold side. I give them a choice and they will tell me what they want. I don't espouse to putting snakes in a dark cold room for 3 months any longer.
-----
"Yeah ya told me, and ya wrote it down too. But how the hell am I supposed to remember!"

Last time that happened, she ate the apple, and we got kicked out of the garden.
-----
11.14 L. getula californiae (Cal. King)
2.3 L. getula nigrita (MBK)
1.0 L. getula floridana (Brooksi)
1.1 Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (Corn)
0.1 Pituophis catenifer catenifer (Pacific gopher)
0.1 Heterodon nasicus nasicus (W Hognose)
4.2.14 Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata - (Cal. Alligator Lizard)

Prolly wouldnt have to worry about burmation if we were still in the garden HUH?
God Bless
Chris
Captive Bred Reps BY: CHRIS FLOWERS

I would highly advise you to get a handbook or manual that cover not only the details but the problems associated. It may be simple, it may be difficult, depends on what species you keep and where you live. Stabile temps are what you are looking for, but make absolutely sure your snakes can survive the stress before you do. Try Bob Applegates milksnake manual(which I always refer to as the bible)or any of the NON PICTURE BOOKS published in the last 3 or so years.

I have burmated snakes for years almost the exact same way bluerosy was describing. when it gets winter I drop the snake room temps to 65, and no light. in the summer the snake room is 80ish, with natural light. I was just asking because I wondered what everyone else does. CAuse theres differnt strokes for different folks. I thought about cooling them at a lower temp thats all, but I'm keeping my same plan for this year.
God Bless
Chris
Captive Bred Reps BY: CHRIS FLOWERS

if its not broken then don't try and fix it.
-----
"Yeah ya told me, and ya wrote it down too. But how the hell am I supposed to remember!"

TRUE THAT RAINER TRUE THAT!!! Where do ya get that book he's talking about anyways?
God Bless
Chris
Captive Bred Reps BY: CHRIS FLOWERS

You can go t his website and order it. There is also a ton of information available here on Kingsnake. Use the tab on top under features, there a lot of different articles.

Read this:
http://www.kingsnake.com/colubrid/index.html

He (Applegate) just came out w/ a new one that I'll probably get today. I don't know how much it normally sells for, but I'll be getting a copy for $10. I don't rmember the title, but it basically deals w/ Kings & Milks in captivity, and it's got alot of red on the cover.

reako45

I'm beginning to think that brumation is an adaptation to unfavorable conditions rather than a necessity.

Meaning, if Winter conditions were favorable to the snakes, they would behave just like in non-Winter seasons.

I found that for Cal kings, desert kings and rosyboas, very mild "brumations" - like mid 60's but still providing a small heat pad during the day - did absolutely no harm to breeding or to the animals. In fact, they did very well under such conditions. Pretty much like Bluerosy describes in this thread.

Also, like Bluerosy, no rush on warming the cage more on Feb 1. I let the snakes decide when they became more active, and usually that didn't happen until March.
-----
Mark