Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I know most of us are getting anxious about now(post below). I thought it would be good time to see how everyone brumates. I go down to about 48-55 for 3 months. I typically start the process at the beginning of November and pull them out around February or March, depending on the weather...

Luc Cauthorn

VaranusGriseus.com

Depends on what you mean by brumate?

My snake room gets cold so i leave the heat tape on the adults and feed them through the winter.
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www.Bluerosy.com

"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8".

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

My room fluctuates from 40-70 during this time. This was pretty successful last year.

>>I know most of us are getting anxious about now(post below). I thought it would be good time to see how everyone brumates. I go down to about 48-55 for 3 months. I typically start the process at the beginning of November and pull them out around February or March, depending on the weather...

I brumate (drop temps to 46F-56F & NO light) from Thanksgiving or earlier until Valentine's Day or later......

I know, I know....They don't need that, but I still do it regardless of what anyone will tell me.......LOL

BTW....these kings of mine aren't ole common kings that will lay fertile eggs if the female is in the same room as the male for a minute......LOL
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

...one big breeder already has eggs from his cornsnakes....
Doubt I'll ever move mine "ahead" that much.
Thanksgiving 'til Valentine's Day for me..
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

i just had a clucth lay last week and I have a clutch hatching as i write. Thses darn kings breed while brumating!

i fished out a cold Florida king becuase it was full of eggs a couple weeks ago. She laid all good eggs last week.

Of my new hatchlings, only one came out of the eggs so far. i will get pics when all of them emerge and post them here.
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www.Bluerosy.com

"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8".

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

That's unreal and awesome. I wonder if some of that is from stored sperm? Either way it's awesome.

Ohhh at least 3 months Luc. I tend to take the males out a couple weeks early prior to the females, but generally a 4 month cooling with variation of light cycle is afforded as well as a very slight misting.......yeah, folks are starting to itch about now.
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Jerry Kruse
www.zonatas.com

And God said, "Let there be zonata subspecies for all to ponder..."

yeah, folks are starting to itch about now.

This keeps up and I'm going to have get some special anti itch cream fast....LOL!

Scott

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1 zonata 2 zonata 3 zonata 4, 5 zonata 6 zonata 7 zonata and more!

Jerry, what do you think about heat supposedly killing the viable sperm of male zonatas...I have not experienced this, but in the field I notice that females are nearly always out before the males...seasonally speaking. I could literally not find a single male Z last time I went hunting in northern Cali/southern Oregon??? I think I am going to bring my females out two weeks earlier than my males, we'll see.

Luc C.

www.VaranusGriseus.com

Jerry, what do you think about heat supposedly killing the viable sperm of male zonatas...I have not experienced this, but in the field I notice that females are nearly always out before the males...seasonally speaking. I could literally not find a single male Z last time I went hunting in northern Cali/southern Oregon??? I think I am going to bring my females out two weeks earlier than my males, we'll see.

This is actually a very good point. Not just about Z's but also the fact i have warmed up males to early and had 100% slugs that year. I wish I did a check on the microscope to see if the sperm was any good, but I can't imagine anything else that it could be..

Bottom line i just leave the males alone. They get poor treatment, less food (spoiled food!) and that all equals less work on my part. And that seems to work just fine. They do their job best this way. It's the females I am focused on.
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www.Bluerosy.com

"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8".

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

I actually bring the males out a couple weeks early to let them SLOOOOOOWLY gear up for breeding with a slight jump start. But too much heat? Sure it can kill viable sperm. Great point to consider as well. Keeping montane snakes in a cooler ambient temperature seems to have worked for me, as I'd stated above. Considering where they're from, it just makes good sense.
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Jerry Kruse
www.zonatas.com

And God said, "Let there be zonata subspecies for all to ponder..."

That's some great advice Jerry. How about like multifasciata and pulchra were there range is hotter and drier?

Scott
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1 zonata 2 zonata 3 zonata 4, 5 zonata 6 zonata 7 zonata and more!

My practices are as such that I tend to brumate the more "northern range" zonata at slightly cooler temps (multicincta, zonata zonata, Cascade intergrades, etc...), which translates to around 45F.......the more south we go, the slightly warmer I place them, so agalma will brumate for me at 50-55F and produce with great success. I wouldnt say that Coastals or pulchra come from "hotter/dryer" climates per se, as all zonata come from a range of areas in their respective mountain ranges -- from high elevations where it's dryer/cooler to riparian/Transition Life zones where it's wetter/warme, respectively, as we must remember that up in the mountains the temperatures and air quality vary greatly as opposed to lower elevations in which people tend to be more familiar with.

I think, for me anyway, this is where the importance of locality comes into play. No two zonata populations are one in the same, however we do what we can without that important information and create a make-shift generalized microhabitat as best we can. But there are options. Frank Retes, et al, often comments on such notions and with good purpose, as it's important to consider, indeed, how we support what species/populations/etc requires what kind of support for optimal captive success.

Broad topic, short on time.....meeting in 12 minutes.......talk more later......
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Jerry Kruse
www.zonatas.com

And God said, "Let there be zonata subspecies for all to ponder..."

I agree Jerry, I currently only have the Cascade intergrades...hopefully that will change later this year.

I have found that they prefer a lower ambient temperature and only enjoy basking on the heat for a two or three hours after meals. The rest of the time they will be retreated under their cold hides. They will bask again when the heat is turned on in the morning of course, but then it's back to the hides. It's strange how much care can very between subspecies and subspecies. It's something I am looking forward to when I acquire some different Z's!

Luc

Agreed Luc......good luck on getting some of those much-desired z's.......

Nice site too!
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Jerry Kruse
www.zonatas.com

And God said, "Let there be zonata subspecies for all to ponder..."

It all depends of my success this year...

Thanks. I really really enjoyed your article, wish I could see that presentation some day.