Reptile & Amphibian Forums

After my baby Northern Ringneck Snake stopped eating on November 25th I tried to get it to hibernate. I waited two weeks first and I put it in my attic. On December 21st I checked on it, I thought I would just find a dead snake since it was like 30 degrees in my attic. But I lifted up a rock and there she was, coiled up still alive. On the 25th I decided to move her back into my room. Since then, she still didn't eat but she was maintaining good weight, better than when she went in hibernation(well it wasn't really hibernation, it was more like freezing, she didn't go underground). After she was in my room, she still wouldn't eat, it was completely not like her. But last night, I added about 3 more inches of dirt. It got so cold last night that I think she finally got it, I couldn't find her today when I was looking in the tank(I thought she got out). But I was digging and I found her tail, so I stopped, covered it back up and I'm going to leave her alone till she wants to come out, hopefully in Spring.
Michael Fedzen

Brumating doesn't necessarily mean "digging in." In fact, most of the snakes I brumate - and it ranges from Kings to Shovelnose - are on the surface when I check for them.

Thirty degrees is a bit cold, however. If temps stay above freezing, you're in good shape.

Lastly, if you waited two weeks after 11/25 and brought it out on 12/21, that's too little time to bring about change. You need AT LEAST a month, if not longer. Most put the snakes awya from 11/15, when they start the cooling process until 2/15 or even 3/15 when they start the warming cycle.

Hope this helps,
Carl

Thanks that did kinda help. A couple people told me about the hibernation of snakes and so I realized that mine wasn't hibernating. The day I made "Conclusion To:Ringneck Not Eating" she ended up coming out from underground anyway. All's I need to do now is find a nice cool place and get it back into hibernation for the remainder of the winter. Right now, the temp. in the tank(in my room)is steady at 61 degrees. When the tank was in my attic, the temp. stayed around 30 degrees. Anybody wanna help me out with where I should hibernate it?
Michael

My ringnecks arent eating but they never do for me this time of the year.I live in Long island NY its cold though my parents keep the temp at 70.
I turn it down in my room to 60.I sleep better at 60 than 70.My ringnecks stop eating every yr around Early Dec dont eat again till around March when the temp goes to about 70 during the day.
They eat like pigs rest of the year.My other reptiles have a basking light and night time heat but I noticed my ringneck snakes actually did better (layed eggs -though never hatched)with a winter rest.
My ringnecks arent Southern ringnecks they come from my State.
They dont dig in the dirt though they just kinda sleep under flat corkbark .Leave water in the tank with them.Once aweek I put them in a topperware and mist them with spring water kept at 70 than put them back.
Someone told me to do that yrs ago.It might not really do much but it might keep them hydrated who knows.
Bianca