|
1-3 of 3 messages
|
Page 1 of 1
|
|
To cool or not to cool...
|
Reply
|
|
by Buzztail1 on March 23, 2001
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
You may actually receive conflicting replies to your question. I have never "hibernated" or cooled any of my snakes and they all seemed to do just fine. BUT, I also have never bred my snakes and I understand that cooling or "brumating" snakes greatly enhances the chances of successful breeding. But, harming them by not "hibernating" them? I don't think so. Karl
|
| |
|
RE: To cool or not to cool...
|
Reply
|
|
by Charper on March 24, 2001
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Regardless of whether you cool some snakes or not, they will stop eating at a particular time of year. If you maintain summertime temps in your herp room, they STILL won't eat, yet you have increased their metabolic rate. What this tends to do is use up their energy stores at a much faster rate. By the time their biological clock tells them to eat again, they may be too weak. It's best not to risk it. Try to imulate the natural environment that the snake came from.
If you want to try feeding all year long, go ahead. But if around November or December(or earlier) you absolutely cannot get the snake to take a meal, go ahead and let them cool down. Every species is a little different though. [We need to publish an article on brumating North American Crotalids on this website.]
I had one s.copperhead that stopped eating on Sept 9th and didn't eat again until March 18th. But an Eastern Diamondback from the Florida Keys wouldn't really need any period of brumation.
|
| |
|
Email Subscription
You are not subscribed to this topic.
Subscribe!
My Subscriptions
Subscriptions Help
Check our help page for help using
, or send questions, comments, or suggestions to the
Manager.
|
