Reptile & Amphibian Forums

As a novice I need some advice - I won't be breedining until next season when my kings are big enough - in the interim, should I brumate my kings this year even though I'm not going to breed until next year? Does it make a difference in next years breeding outcome if I do or don't this year?

Thanks,
Jim

Let me ask you this, why do you think you may need to brumate? What kind of kings? Where are you located? Are they from your neck of the woods?
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Todd Hughes

Todd - thanks for the reply. The snakes are brooksi/florida kings; two anerys; one normal and one high yellow, possible hypo. I live in NJ. Reading and doing some research I understood (and maybe wrongly so?) that part of the breeding process was to brumate the snakes for a few months, say from around Thanksgiving to Valentine's Day.

What do you think?

Jim

That is what most try to do, but for south Florida animals and south Texas animals, with people from those localities, a true brumation sometimes is not necessary. We hardly ever get a freeze down here, and winter is very short, many snakes can be seen basking in winter as the sun is bright most of the time. With all species not from those areas, I try a brumation with those dates you mentioned as a base. But my locality animals and my Fla. animals don't really need it.
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Todd Hughes