Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Trying to get ahead of the game this year, my question is this.

How can I successfully create the necessary temperatures for a successful brumation period here in Southern California??

Placing them or purchase of a second fridge is out of the question and the temperatures don't fall in the optimal brumating temperatures.

So throw out some ideas, hints, suggestions, anything really.

My problem has been not having those optimal temperatures to have successful eggs.

Hey Sean, try and hook up and talk with our buddy John C, or if John does not see this and answer himself, I will tell him to email you. He lives near you and brumates many of different species of lizards each winter, and has all kinds of offspring from them.

Maybe he can shed some light on how you can do it.
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PHEve / Eve

Very cool and thank you Eve, oh speaking of shedding one of the girls I'm not sure if it was Laverne or Shirley but one of them did shed.

Sorry for the delay, been busy lately with all the added
hatchling and juvenile chores.

I don't cool the collareds like I used to but when I did,
I would use a mini fridge and set the temps between
45-50F. I used vented plastic containers with a few vent
holes on the sides and just stack them in there with one
or two per container. The door was closed but I would
leave a small hollow tube taped on the door seal so as to
allow air exchange. and also a temp sensor line for
monitoring temps from an out side thermostat.

At close to six weeks I would gradually turn the fridge
thermostat up a bit each day until it was pretty close to
room temperature. Our winters here really suck for a
safe brumation so either a small dedicated fridge or an
ice chest with cold gel packs and a thermometer with a
sensor lead (so you don't need to open the chest so
often)or just leave the lid closed but not locked so as to
allow a little fresh air circulation. I would lay a small
object on the rubber seal (near the latch) for fresh air
circulation.

I think Will Wells is the ice chest brumation 'go to guy'.
Their winters are similar to ours and possibly warmer.

John

Ok thank you John, looks like the cooler will be a more viable option for me.

We do have coolers available in addition to a beer cooler the type made from styrofoam. What are your opinions on using them with the gel packs, small fan with a thermometer/sensor??

I use those styrofoam coolers all the time. I have built
incubators using some of those cheap styro ice chests
and have hatched lots of babies in them.

They are not so air tight as the metal or plastic ice chests
are so they would work well for hibernation I'm sure.

Dont think you need a fan. When they are cooled, their
immune systems are low so I think cool air being fanned
on them might do them more harm than good. I use a
hydro/thermometer which reads both humidity and temps.

I would soak a paper towel then ring it out then put it in a
small vented container for a little added humidity.
Probably check/change the paper towel for continued
dampness at least once a week.

John