Reptile & Amphibian Forums

For those who are experienced with northern ringneck snake hibernation, I would like to know if I needed to feed my ringneck snake extra meals for it to prepare the coming Winter hibernation. I suppose extra fat is what the snake need to get through hibernation without food. If answer is yes, how much more do I need to feed (salamander) it? My ringneck snake was born in early Spring so it is less than a year old. Any suggestion will be highly appreciated, thanks in advance.

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SnakeSense

It's gotta be atleast a year old if you found it in the spring time. Ringnecks don't lay eggs that early. It could even be up to 2 years old... They stay small and grow a tiny bit.

I don't think feeding it extra would be a must... Baby ones don't need as much fat as adults do in hibernation. I had a baby aberrant northern last year, found in August, ate 3 salamanders two days after I got it. Wouldn't eat after that, wasn't hibernated until late December. I had a 14" juvenile do the same thing... He died mid-hibernation.

And they don't need to hibernate... If it stays warm where you are, see if it will keep eating. The bigger they get the better... Get it on f/t salamanders and once it reaches 10" it will be big enough for day old pinkies.
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Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
Helmz777@aol.com
www.freewebs.com/mikesnake

Hello Mike,

Thanks for your reply, I think you are right, I believe my northern ringneck was hatched out late last Autumn. I found it in early May this year and it was about four inches long, really tiny. I plan to let it hibernate the whole Winter from middle of November to middle of March because I wouldn't be able to find any salamander for it during that period of time. I will let it stay in my garage for the hibernation and the temperature will be little bit better than outdoor. I will fill half of my 2 feet bucket with soil and put some repti bark on top for the snake to hibernate there. I will also put some hide rocks and a bowl of fresh water there in case the snake needs it. This is the first time I carry out this hibernation experiment and I will let you know if this experiment is succeessful or not by next Spring.

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SnakeSense