Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,
I was hoping that someone would be able to answer a question for me. I have some 2009 baby AZ mountain kings and Knoblochis. I wanted to know if it was ok to keep them awake for their first winter in order to keep them feeding and boost their growth or if this will have a negative affect on their future breeding? I have heard people say bad and good things about both so I am confused about wheather or not it will be ok to keep them up for one winter or if I should just hibernate to benefit future breeding.

Thank you and I hope for a response!

In my opinion, there is no reason or benefit to hibernate a juvenile snake if you do not intend to breed it.. Assuming that it is feeding on a normal schedule.

~ Mike Russo

In my opinion, there is no reason or benefit to hibernate a juvenile (or an adult)snake if you do not intend to breed it.. Assuming that it is feeding on a normal schedule.

I don't think "WE" should hibernate/brumate or forcably cool a snake period for a prolonged period. Let the snake make those choices.

It is about giving choices to the snake. A forced cooling period for 2-3 months is not ideal and not what a snake needs to cycle properly. "WE" just think it is what they need to "get" them to cycle and reproduce.

I keep my snakes in a cold room but with with heat on one end of their encloser. With that, they can choose either the warm side or the cold side. After they eat they will sit on the warm side. When finished digestion they sit on the cold side. It is that simple. This is what they do. And yes, I offer food to my snakes during winter.

Unfortunatly some people will disagree and tell you to forcably stop feeding and cool them starting around Thanksgiving and then warm up during during Febuary.

-----
www.Bluerosy.com

"They that can give up essential liberty, to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty or safety." -Benjamin Franklin

To add to the other responses, some Mountain kings will stop eating and shut down for the winter ANYWAY, because they can tell what time of season it is despite the temperature. They can tell by the shorter days of the photoperiod.

Now if your youngster will continue to eat, go ahead and let it eat, but if it DOES, you MUST give it a warm end of the cage to digest in the low-mid 80's if the other end is much cooler, or the meal will putrify(rot), and it will regurgitate..

If it doesn't want to go along with the eating program, and refuses, go ahead and brumate it if you can't get the right temperature gradients to let it do both if it wants.

If you brumate it, make sure it is cool enough too, so it won't use up it's body reserves.

~Doug
-----
"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

Not sure this was mentioned here, but you can cool your subadult snakes for a short time then bring them back up.About 2 -4 weeks can bring back a feeding responce.Many guys do this for hatchlings that won't eat.
Also not all snakes have to be cooled for the winter.This may depend on the climate they came from.My milk snakes stop eating in july/august.In sept/oct they seem to eat again. I cool(brumate)them if I want to breed them.This also gived me a break on cleaning and feeding dozens of snakes.My pyros seem to have their owne schedule.

-----

Doug L

Snake bit, my Milk does exactly the same thing!

reako45