Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Im trying to be proactive about this upcoming fall winter.
I have several snakes I need to brumate and I would like to do it naturally without the help of a/c and refer equipment.
I live in Texas and the winter here averages 60 during the day 40 at night. Warm fronts can push the temps upwards of 75 degrees and then drop fast into the high 40's when a cold front comes in.
My question is... If snakes thrive here in this kind of weather, why cant my coulbrids do the same? I plan on kicking on a space heater when the temps go below the 50's but thats about it.
The only place I can keep them has poor insulation and there will be a temperature flux no matter what I do. They are housed in a communal style wooden enclosure with screen doors.
I am looking for a response hopefully from someone who lives in a similar climate and has done something similar.
I am aware of the dangers of infections...
Given the current scenario, what can you do to prevent them?
Maybe some extra insulation etc... It's easier to heat them up then to cool them down!

....if temps aren't low enough....some won't lay

some will lay before you even breed them...they thought it was spring...did that more than once...
some might die if too cold...how cold?...got it to almost 42 one time..lost 4 snakes from 100 maybe?...one was a 6'6" yellow rat...a corn and a thayeri maybe? I forget...

anyways....UNDERGROUND?...you have access to underground?....temps stay more constant.......don't know if there are basements in TX or not....?...

dig a big old bunker in your yard?....

....
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........JY

I live in the Florida panhandle so I deal about the same temp ranges as you. I use mother nature for the purposes of brumation. You are right about your snakes handling the temps there with an understanding that they are good at finding accomidation that will protect them from the cold....under ground or under your house. Using a heat for the extreme cold is definatly a must since they are caged. I would recommend spending some money and get a small portable building , insulate it very well, install a small AC unit for the summer and a reliable heater for the winter. Keep a daily watch of the weather and you can use fans to drawn in cold air at night and shut the windows during the when winteris not cooperating. I know folks that keep all their snakes in a communal cage during the winter in no problems. My snake only get congical vists and I have eggs all over the place. As stated by the previous poster, you need the cold if you want successful breeding.

Best of Luck

Scott Sweeney
www.sweeneyserpents.com
Link

The bigger question that comes to mind for me is what kind of snakes do you plan on brumating? Some snakes can easily be bred with slight variation in temps and/or light cycle fluctuation. But the easiest way to go about it with a limited budget is lots of insulation and utilize the outside temps when it is cooler. A fan that is capable of pulling in night time air hooked to a close on rise, line voltage thermostat (when the temps increase it turns on, and runs on 120 volts) is easily obtained and really a simple solution. The down side to this is that if your insulation is not thick enough you will lose your nice cool temps rather quickly. Something you may want to consider is a wine cooling unit. They are miniature air conditioners and can usually attain temps in the range that we use for brumation. I built a cabinet for a friend and he maintained 45 degrees all winter here in Vegas, inside his shop. You can even buy refurbished cooling units at a severely discounted price. Hope this helps,
-JT

Perhaps a little more info would help...
I have no desire to produce an abundance of fertile eggs next year. I want to keep my snakes communal stlye and see some eggs while doing it. My goal is to get one good clutch out of each female, keep in mind they will be together all year.
I don't want to spend a bunch of money. I am more concerned with keeping my snakes healthy. If I can get a few clutches of healthy eggs, I will be happy. From what I have read, only a brief time is needed for brumation, obviously the longer the better. With that being said, how long is brief?
Snakes are
Corns
Hondurans
Thayeri
I am certain that I can maintain an average of 50 degrees in Jan and Feb... The other months will be out of my control. The house I am renting has poor insulation. So I can insulate the cages but the house I can't control.

They are grouped according to species
Corns M-F 2 levels
Thayeri M-F 2 levels
Houndurans M-F-F-F 4 Levels

Snakes use mass temps. That is, they use the temps on and underground. They can survive the hottest days and the coldest nights underground. The temps underground are quite stable.

In the wild, the best winter spots can be occupied by numerous individuals and more than one species.

How will you allow snakes to spend the Winter underground? Perhaps a big plywood box sunk in the ground, covered with dirt and some kind of vent. But I would test it this Winter before committing.
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Mark

This is another great idea but is not a choice for me. We are on a record drought right now and I do rent so I won't be digging any lage holes in the ground.

I will suppliment low temps with some heat from a electric heater.
Can anyone tell me how brief the brumation can be for these species?