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I put my m/f pair of '05 hondurans into cooling about a month ago for the first time. I am hoping to breed them this year when they warm up. My question is how long should I leave them in brumation for before it's safe to breed them? Thanks.
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1.4.20 Bearded Dragons (Frodo, Red Sonya, Galadriel, Arwen, Lakis & babies)
0.1.0 Peacock Day Gecko
0.1.0 Columbian Red-Tail Boa (Bilbo)
0.1.0 Ball Python (Daisy)
0.1.0 California King Snake (Cali)
1.1.0 Honduran Milk Snakes
1.0.0 Timor Monitor (Timmy)
2.1.0 Red Ear Sliders (Pilot, Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum)
0.1.0 PacMan Frog (Jabba The Hutt)
0.0.2 Grey Tree Frogs
0.0.2 Fire Belly Toads
0.2.0 Cats (Mollie & Nermel)
1.0.0 Mini Pinscher x Chihuahua (Pepper)

Well, there's no real "exact" amount of time, and it can also depend heavily on what part of the country you live in as well. Most breeders like to let the natural temps in the area dictate when they brumate. But in addition to "cooling" them, it can also play a handy part with people with moderate to large collections in not having to feed them. This can be a real money saver, as well as time spent cleaning up after them, etc...

Where I live(central Florida), I start cooling them around mid December, and let them start warming back up around March or so, depending on if I think cold fronts will stay at bay. And if there should be a few stray fronts after that, I just break-out my space heater and set the temps to around 79-83 until the outside weather consistantly stays around that temp. Like I said, different people from different parts of the country, or even the world will do things differently, but this seems to work good for me where I am at.

Generally, a brumation time of 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 months is the norm, sometimes even longer, at temps of 55-65 degrees, but sometimes even much less of a brumation time will work many times, it's sort of a what works for you and the snake's thing. I think yours will do okay, if they are cooled for a month like you say, and slowly warm & feed them afterwards, they will probably just breed a little later than they normally might otherwise.

A key factor for the female being ready to breed and being receptive, is her post brumation shed, this shed tends to coincide with her follicle production, and usually has an underlying pheromone smell after the shed is sloughed that the males find irresistible.

good luck!, ~Doug

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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

Thanks for the reply! I think I'll wait another couple of weeks and then slowly begin to let them warm up. I live up in the great white north (New Hampshire) so it gets cold around here starting in October and doesn't warm up again until late April or early May. I use UTH's to maintain temps during the winter but for brumating I moved them to a storage room in the basement that usually stays around 55 to 60 degrees during the winter. It's getting up to about 63 in there now so there's a nice gradual warming beginning already which is good.

Thanks again for your help. I really like all your hondo pics that you've posted too! I'm eager to get my breeding project started soon. It's been a long 3 year wait!

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1.4.20 Bearded Dragons (Frodo, Red Sonya, Galadriel, Arwen, Lakis & babies)
0.1.0 Peacock Day Gecko
0.1.0 Columbian Red-Tail Boa (Bilbo)
0.1.0 Ball Python (Daisy)
0.1.0 California King Snake (Cali)
1.1.0 Honduran Milk Snakes
1.0.0 Timor Monitor (Timmy)
2.1.0 Red Ear Sliders (Pilot, Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum)
0.1.0 PacMan Frog (Jabba The Hutt)
0.0.2 Grey Tree Frogs
0.0.2 Fire Belly Toads
0.2.0 Cats (Mollie & Nermel)
1.0.0 Mini Pinscher x Chihuahua (Pepper)

Good deal,...that should work fine, those basement temps they're brumating in are right on!...in another few weeks, that will make it almost 2 months total, so you should be good to go with that.

Good luck with your project(s), BTW, nice hypo youngster you posted there as well!

thanks for your photo compliment too!

best regards, ~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"