Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys, I have a dilemma... it's getting chilly enough for me to start thinking about brumating my adult colubrids, but my problem is that I've moved since last winter, so I don't have access to the perfectly-cold closet that I had to brumate my snakes in last year. For those of you in warmer areas, how do you brumate your snakes? Do you just forego it, or do you have some sort of cooling chamber rigged up that you use?
-----
65 animals... and the number keeps growing!

Personally, I've always forgone brumation and had no problems.
-----
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
J.R.R. Tolkien

While on the topic. My male blood has seemed to become a bit fat. On a diet of 1 mouse a week, or less. I've been debating about brumating him. The female I have, is an outcross from what I thought a great bloodred. Sadly she is ugly, and under sized as she is 3 years old. She clearly needs feeding and beefing up for a go next spring. Shes rather homely, but I'm hoping she carries some of her moms mysterious genes.

Soooooo I was going to pass on brumation. So many people say they do it. I think brumation is better to build sperm, but I'll try it with out this year.
-----
Thanks for reading.
Big Tom

www.herpzilla.com

I've also heard brumation was better to build sperm for the males but I've never had problems with this. I also prefer to have the females well fed before breeding and I've never had a problem with not brumating. In fact, I think my guys are over productive, usually producing 15eggs or more per pairing. I have one female who consistently throws over 20 eggs.
-----
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
J.R.R. Tolkien

Do you find hefty male snakes less interested in breeding?
-----
Thanks for reading.
Big Tom

www.herpzilla.com

Personally I've not noticed this, but my heftiest male has no fat on him. Strangely, my only snake with any extra weight on it is a snow female, and she is the one that consistently throws over 20 eggs, so I've no complaints with her, though she does shed the pounds during breeding season and even seems skinny after laying, but she always packs on the weight again, even while on the same feeding regimen as the rest of my collection.

-----
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
J.R.R. Tolkien

I don't brumate my snakes and this is the 2nd breeding year for my male and big albino female and the 1st year for my ghost female and I have no problems, My ghost even double clutched this year.
Foot Hill Reptiles

By far the best reason to brumate in my opinion, is to make sure every thing/body (snakes and me) are on the same schedule. In South Texas, I brumate at about 60-65 degrees, usually closer to 65. Nothing gets any food during this time. This yeah was great, almost every snake was on the same schedule, I knew when to expect almost every clutch, I knew when to put animals together. With out brumation, it is much harder to know when females are ready to go, or when they are ovulating, or if they do breed when to expect eggs. So for me brumation is all about timing, I do think it is helps corns with fertility, but I do not feel it is required for breeding like it is with other species (like alterna and mexicana).
-----
South Texas Herps

If you don't brumate, how do you know when to pair the snakes up and if the female is ovulating? I am planning on mating my 3 foot normal corn this coming spring. This will be my first attempt with any snake. I thought I had a plan, but reading this kind of confused me. Any tips would be helpful. Should I brumate or not? Male/female? When will they be ready to breed if I do not brumate?

I always put mine together at about the same time as those who brumate, but mine usually take a few weeks longer to actually "get busy". But then, mine have always been late breeders, with hatchlings coming around aug-sept each year.
-----
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
J.R.R. Tolkien

If you do brumate then they should breed after the first shed out of brumation.
-----
-David Harrison-
.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1. Striped Anery Corn "V" or "5".....Has two names
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
.1 Ball Python "Rocky Ballboa" (Didn't name her!)
0.0.1 Crested Gecko "The Crested Gecko"

"Have you ever tried simply turning off the T.V., sitting down with your kids... and hitting them?"

Light cycles will trigger corn snakes to breed, whether they've been cooled or not. Some people feel brumation increases fertility. Although corn snakes live in Florida, they are also native to Kentucky, Virginia and Maryland - places where it gets relatively cold in the winter time.

Tim

Third Eye

You forgot perhaps the most important reason to brumate.....
If they are sleeping they are not eating!
-----
-David Harrison-
.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1. Striped Anery Corn "V" or "5".....Has two names
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
.1 Ball Python "Rocky Ballboa" (Didn't name her!)
0.0.1 Crested Gecko "The Crested Gecko"

"Have you ever tried simply turning off the T.V., sitting down with your kids... and hitting them?"