Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'd appreciate anyone offering brumation techniques that have worked for them. In a previous home I had a perfect room that needed no temperature adjustments. It was a small anteroom (room where you remove muddy boots, rain gear, etc., before entering the house at the basement level.) It was not heated and I was able to put my various herps down each season and bring them out w/no problems.

My new house doesn't have such a room so I'm faced with doing it some conventional, tried and proven way. Thanks for your suggestions.

John Peniche
4.2 Aquaflames (P McIntosh lines)

Last year, I used a new ice chest, and opened the drain hole. I ran a digital thermometer probe through the drain hole so I could monitor temps without opening the lid, and closed the lid tight. Then I used ice packs, and on warmer days/weeks, I had to swap them out every 4-8 hours. During cold snaps, they would last for as much as a day or so. This method works, but it is a pain if you live in a warmer climate like we do in SE Texas. You have to constantly check temps, especially for the first few weeks to get a sense of which packs work best and how many.

I think Eve waits until the dead of winter to brumate hers, and I think that will work best for me, too. I tried to start a week or two after thanksgiving last, and our weather doesn't really stay consistently cool until december through feb. I had too many warm spells and it was a bigger pain than it was during dec. to feb.

I have always lived where it doesn't get cold enough for burmation and came up the ice chest method. It can be a pain because you have to check them daily but has worked well. I have bought large plastic ice packs from Target and if you use a couple it can keep the ice chest cool for 12 hours depending on the room temps. I change them once at night and once in the morning. As RoseBuds said, it can be a pain but I haven't found a better option.