Reptile & Amphibian Forums

have a Brown and Yellow barred morph Kingsnake that I found floating on the pool vac a year ago. He has been an awesome pet, very tame and an easy keeper. About a month ago he refused food so I thought he might be going into brumation although I am not lowering the temp in his cage. I am keeping it at the same temp and the light on for 12 hours. Do snakes just automatically brumate based on the seasonal changes? The temps here have still been 80-90 until this week when it has been 70's, but days are shorter. Should I keep the tank the same, should I offer him food, should I not handle him, and how long will this last? Any input would be appreciated.

temps here are 80-90
What temps? Do you mean outside near the pool vacume or in the snake tank?

How many times did the snake eat for you ?

Is this a cal adult king?
What size tank is it in and what kind of heat do you use?

Snakes can go for weeks and months w/o eating but not at 90 degrees.
-----

Doug L

no....it has been hot outside, not in the tank. He is in an 18x18 tank. I have a heating pad on the bottom of one side of the tank. I have a heat lamp and UV lamp in the tank top. The tank temp is 80-85 during the day and about 72-75 at night. He is a Cal King and has been eating well over the past year...twice a week as a baby and now about every 10 to 14 days. But he doesn't want any food now. He will either burrow, go under his rock, or lay on top of the substrate. I am not sure if I should just leave him alone or keep trying to feed him.

It sounds like you found yourself a nice pet. If it's eaten as you describe for a year, an 18 x 18 cage should be getting awfully, awfully tight for it. I'll let others address the brumation question, but i'd recommend you move your snake to a larger, rectangular cage and leave a heat lamp on at one end but not the other, so the snake can thermoregulate by moving from warm to cooler as it chooses.

you might try turning off all the heat and cooling hom for 4- 6 weeks w/o food.After that time heat him back up.
btw why the double heat source? Just use the heat tape at on end. The over the head heat will heat the entire tank no ?
-----

Doug L

Thanks so much for the input. Funny you mention a larger cage...that was in my plans for next week. You are right about the double heat....I was using it mainly as a source for light....the room he is in is not the brightest. Perhaps I should move him to a brighter area?

Also, just put your thermometer (perferably a digital one with a temperature probe) at the bottom of the tank near the UTH. It doesn't matter quite as much what the temperatures in the top of the tank are (unlike with lizards). He doesn't really desperately need the light, just put a light in there that doesn't give off extra heat if you just want to be able to see him. I don't keep lights over my snake tanks anymore, just the ones for my various lizards, since they need the UV lights.

And with that, I need to go thaw some food for Eddie... he's glaring at me. >_
-----
Holly

1.0 Florida Kingsnake (Eddie Gein)
0.1 Lavender California Kingsnake (Belle Gunness)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Charley Manson)
1.0 Fire Skink (Peter Dinsdale)
1.0 Vietnamese Golden Gecko (George Chapman)
0.0.1 Blue Day Gecko (Joe Ball)
1.0 Orange Marmalade Cat (Oliver)
1.0 Black Cat (Shadowfax)
1.0 Tennessee Walking Horse (Durango)

2.0 Toddlers (Justice & Trevor)

No need for light, especially now.

You may leave the heat pad on. Let the rest of the cage be cool. Just make sure the low temps do not fall below 50 degrees. (In a really big cage, they can handle much lower, but in a small cage, keep it controlled).

That is it. Let the snake choose what it wants. You can turn off the heat pad at night. Snake may refuse food, no problem. Mine are still feeding but not as often. They still digest fine even with cool nights.
-----
Mark

Thanks everyone...I think I am getting the hang of this guy then he responds to something differently!! This is my first time dealing with the slowing down and not sure what to expect.