Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a pair of Arizona Mountain Kings that I am keeping as pets due to the difficulty of providing 40 degree temps for long periods in winter. I kept them at temps around the upper 60's. Can they breed successfully within a drastic cooldown or is it not worth it to try?

Thanks,
Dan

I live in Arizona. I had my Az. Mtn. King in the garage for a few months but the temperatures were rarely below fifty. Just doesn't get that cold here, especially not semi-indoors like the garage. I have a male on loan who I'm sure had a pretty good brumation as he's from a much higher elevation (like their natural habitat) and was quite properly brumated. They're together three days then separated one day, and in this cycle, I'll keep them until sometime in June. If she's gravid and has fertile eggs, I'd say it works, and if she's not, I would have to say that I could have missed the window, so inconclusive. I sure hope it works out. I'm looking forward to my little baby pyros!
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~Sasheena

CAN they breed is pretty open-ended. The cool down of pyros only betters your chance of the female cycling. I brumated 4 breedable females and two males. My temps were in the 50's most of the time and a short drop into the hi 40's. There were also spikes into the 60's. 3 of my four have now copulated and 1 is gravid. It does'nt hurt to try and if they want to breed they will let the snakes do the talking as long as they are of breedable size.

I have bred them with no real cool down at all here in Tampa, FL. Nowadays I let them get as cool as the ambient temps, which only occasionally get to the 40's or lower for a night or so. I treat all my colubrids the same and stop feeding on Thanksgiving and resume on Valentine's Day.
While a longer, more steady and lower brumation may be better, I have done o.k.
:Mark

I'd say give it a try. Also, prefered hibernation temps are in the 50s. Going below 50 for extended periods may cause health problems. FYI
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Rick Staub
R&R Reptiles

I also live in the Phx area, and optimum brumation temps (50-55F) are often hard to come by. My temps tend to stay in the hi 50's to lo 60's from Dec 1 to March 1. At times it does drop a bit lower, but not much. Give it a shot, what do you have to lose? Seems to work though, here's one from last yr.
Good luck to ya, and keep us posted on how you do!
Cheers, Bill