Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'd like to try breeding corns in the next year or two, but can't figure out how to provide the cooler temps needed. I don't have a cool basement to use and I can't change the temps of our whole house or I'd freeze! Am I out of luck or are there any other ways to provide the cooler temps needed (we do have a garage that we don't park vehicles in if that helps)?

Thanks
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1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
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"Kira"

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Since I only had a couple of snakes to brumate last season I just used a mini fridge.
I experimented for a few weeks to get the temperature right and then placed the snakes in their containers and poped them in the fridge.
I had it maintaining 47 degrees.
I poked a hole in the rubber seal around the door to allow for air.
I checked on them about once a week to make sure they had water.
All went well.
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Remember, My posts are MY opinion only!
Jimmy (draybar)

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1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"

0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer
"Kira"

I here this alot so I prepared this answer to it a few weeks ago..... I hope it helps
I have been breeding corn snakes since the mid 80’s and have never brumated them before. I use light cycle as a general guide to discern the seasons for my snake room. I keep both my Boas and My corns in the same room. The only true difference I use to keep them is that I don’t heat my corn snake cages at all, ever. The room will get into the low 80’s (80-84) during the peak of the summer heat here in South FL and during the winter I will not let the room drop below 68-70 as the night time low with the normal day time high in the upper 70’s. My corns feed year round except for when the females are ready to breed. Normally the second shed after the first of the year is my indicator that the snakes are ready to breed. The males let me know for sure by the increased activity and the lack of an appetite. The second shed normally comes at the end of February or the beginning of March. This season the eggs were not even laid until the end of May which is a few weeks later then normal.
Out of 6 breeding females this season the first group of clutches produced over 130 eggs. out of all the eggs only seven of them were non-fertile eggs and all seven of them came from the same female, who did produce 21 good eggs as well as the seven duds. I have always been against brumating Corns because of the unneeded risk to them. Corns are so willing to breed, the only other snake I have ever dealt with that was more prolific is the African House Snake which will produce clutches of eggs every 60 days all year long providing that the food and calcium supply is adequate.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks
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Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com

I was wondering about not cooling them. I do provide my corn with heat (temp gradient), does this mean I could not get away with skipping the cooling prior to breeding? I'm guessing there would be no harm in trying to breed w/o cooling, right?

Thanks!
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Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"

0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer
"Kira"

But people who live in less temperate zones need to be aware that photoperiods are not always enough of a clue to tell your corns that it is time to mate. A brief cooling period (I cool mine for six weeks or so) followed by a gradual rewarming, tells the females it is spring, regardless of the actual temps outside.

As an aside, this also permits me to breed my females in the first two weeks of February, giving me a head start on having hatchlings for sale ahead of the big boys' and girls' offerings! We smaller breeders need all the advantages we can get, and since none of my corns have been able to read the calendar next to their vivs ... I've had no problems whatsoever.

So, it is true that you do not HAVE to brumate corns, but I've never had a problem with doing so, and sometimes it is needed in the "lower than 60 degree winter weather" areas of the country. Good luck with your animals!
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Darin Chappell
Hillbilly Herps
PO Box 254
Rogersville, MO 65742

When you control,lighting ,temps,you decide when the snake breeds.While cooling isnt needed I do like to cycle them even if I decide not to breed them.To me it seems more natural.I dont freeze them out but there bodies get down to about 65 degrees for 6-8 weeks.I know this is debated alot in other forums but it's a gut feeling for me to do this way...Paul

I've always bred successfully without cooling. Why not try it for your first year and then look into cooling the next year if you're not satisfied with the results? You might be trying to complicate something unnecessarily.

"You might be trying to complicate something unnecessarily."

That's what I'm afraid of.

Thank you - any tips/advice you can give on the process would be great. I've been reading up on how to do all the cooling that I'm not sure what changes to make in the process if not cooling (such as feeding, etc).

Also, would I just leave them in their current tanks or would they need to be moved to a rubbermaid for the mating, etc?

Thanks again!
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Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"

0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer
"Kira"

>>There are advantages.
It allows you to set a schedule. After brumating you can just about mark the day on your calander when they will be ready to breed. (just about)Without brumating it can be a little less predictable.
It allows for some time off from feeding which saves money and time. When you have animals brumating for a couple of months there are that many less mouths to feed.
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Remember, My posts are MY opinion only!
Jimmy (draybar)

.............you have addressed this subject before,but what are your opinions,thoughts?