Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How long do most people cool their kings?I have read anywhere from 4 weeks to 3 months.I live in Ohio and have my mbk's and cali's cooling now,and was just wondering what time frame people use.This is my first year doing this.Thank you.

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1.0 aberrant cal. king
0.1 reverse spotted cal. king
1.1 mbk's
1.1 florida kings

I can only tell you what I have learned and read and that is put em down Thanksgiving-ish and wake em up late Feb. or earyl March. I believe this is close to what MOST people do.

Boy am I talking alot tonight. We can thank Red Bull for that. Brumation is a multi-faceted phenomena that incorporates such nuances as type of specie and subspecie in question for brumation, the range that they are indigenous to, etc. for example, one would not brumate an African python the same as for a Northern pine snake. The requirements are different for these and everything else that falls in-between. Mexican black kings range in areas that do not experience drastic winters, but rather a more reasonable cooling period. I have bred these kings at a cooling temperature ranging between 55F to 65F within a three month period with much success (as there occurs temperature fluctuations in wild settings of course, causing some stirring of the snakes but which is not of ill concern. It is recommended to "check-in" on them periodically to ensure their well-being), as did I with other species that come from warmer climates such as California kings and T.P. ratsnakes for example. More temperate climate species, such as N.A. milks and montane kings for example, would do better brumating at colder temps with some reasonable fluctuation factors (45 - 60F). Some may disagree with this common practice, but under most captive conditions this has been the gold standard I believe.

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Jerry Kruse

"One often meets his destiny on the path he takes to avoid it". - Master Oogway

I live in Ohio too and have been successfully breeding MBKs for 10 years. Like joecop said, I do what a lot of people do - start cooling them around Thanksgiving and start warming them up around Valentine's Day. I shoot for a 55-60 degree brumation temperature, although it varies depending on outside temperatures.

Tim

Third Eye

Thanks for the replies.Right now mine are cooling at around 56 degrees.I change the water and paper every week.My female mbk is in blue right now.Should I warm her up to shed or leave her be?Thanks

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1.0 aberrant cal. king
0.1 reverse spotted cal. king
1.1 mbk's
1.1 florida kings

You can either let it shed while brumating (which will take longer than normal, but still can be done), or sometimes I wait until the eyes clear, then I warm the snake, let it shed, and cool it back down again.

Tim

Thanks I will let it go and if it seems too long I will warm her up and let her shed.

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1.0 aberrant cal. king
0.1 reverse spotted cal. king
1.1 mbk's
1.1 florida kings

I would let her be. I had a female milk snake (eastern) shed while in brumation about a month ago. Just make sure you check on them and remove any shed skin as soon as possible.

Ok.I had two of my other ones shed while cooling but they shed right after I started cooling them.Thanks
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1.0 aberrant cal. king
0.1 reverse spotted cal. king
1.1 mbk's
1.1 florida kings