Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Here in southern Louisiana, I have a young wild-caught speckled--I would estimate it hatched in 2002 and had one winter hibernation under its belt by the time I accidentally stepped on it one night this past summer. Despite a possible broken rib or two, it was eating fine all summer and fall (on anole-scented pinkies), then it got fussy and would only eat anoles until a couple of weeks ago. Now the anoles have started hibernating outside, though, so they're hard to find.

It seems to want to hibernate, so I've unplugged the heating pad which kept the tank at 80 degrees. Room temperature in the house is around 68 degrees now, but that may not be cool enough to slow metabolism. This is a young snake, very alert, but not with a lot of body fat. Should I move him/her to an unheated entryway or garage? Temps there are around 40 degrees on cold nights.

Thanks for the advice!

Jonathan

The snake really doesn't need to brumate unless you intend to breed it. It is what stimulates the production of spermatoza and ova. Otherwise, slowly decrease the temp to about 60 degrees over about a two week period. Keep the enclosure darkened, and check it every so often to make sure it has fresh water. Hope this helps.

Todd