rookie burmation

ok this will be my first year bermating my corns for they will be more then breeding size next year. as of 2 weeks ago i took them off food and i lowerd there heat slighty... can anyone give me more tips on what else i need to do or any sugestions... i make sure he has fresh water every day.. around what temps should the tank be? i noticed he is very much loving the underneth part of his water bowl... he never hid in the area before only his hide and the big tree in the tank. i noticed he likes to move around alot.. i keep the tank in my bedroom.. and dooring the day there is no on in there but around 8pm-9 am i have my tv on and im in my room with my gf. should i move him out of my room? and should i have any heat pads or anything in the tank.. right now i use a heat mat.. also could i bermate 2 snakes in the same tank or no? this is a ? the last ? im asking for a friend who doenst have the room for another tank...... please feel free to put any information u cna think of..... thanks very much

i also live in a refinished basment.. i myself dont use heat down staris doring the winter since i love the cold.. it does not get lower then 50 degrees... will this be ok..

50-60 F is a good temperature range to stay inside. Sounds like your place is in that range.

I water once a week.

Darkness 24 hours per day (except when watering) is good. Minimal vibration is also good.

I've often brumated two snakes in one tank.

I'll try to get a bit more info up later today.

Brumation steps:

1) Keep your corn snake at normal activity temperature for two weeks to let her empty her gut.

2) If the cage temperature is fairly constant both day and night, turn off the heat at night and let the temperature fall to room temperature (~70 F). During the day the snake can be warmed back to her regular temperature. Do this for the second week of the two week gut emptying period. If you give it a temperature cycle already, with nighttime temperature falling to room temperature, you can skip this step.

3) Turn off the heat and hold the cage at room temperature for two weeks. This helps to accustom the snake to lower temperatures.

4) The brumation cage can be either the snake's regular cage or something like a 10 gallon aquarium or sweater box. Size can be minimal.

5) Drop the temperature to somewhere in the 50-60 F range. Hold the snake there for two months in total or near total darkness. Provide fresh water weekly. Some light is acceptable when watering.

6) When brumation is over, bring the snake up to room temperature and hold it there for a week. Then return it to regular activity temperature for a week, and then start offering food.

Hey Paulh

This is also going to be my first year of brumation.
Im brumating 1.1 normal het Amels.
After you put them back into their normal vivs. how long do you wait till you let them mate???? (a week???)

And are those steps for male and female corns???

Cheers

Alex

Alex
You put the snakes together after the female has had her post brumation shed.( which is about 3-6 weeks after you warm them up again)

OK thanks

And when I take them out of their brumation containers, I put the male in a 3ft viv and the female in a 3ft viv and oncethe female has had her post brumation shed, I put hr in th MALES VIVS so that the male can smell her more easly, right???

Cheers

Alex

I put the male into the females enclosure because most of my corns are in 1.2 ratio and putting him in with her he only taste her smell, if I put her with him I may have already had a female in with him before so he taste both female at once, don't know it may confuse him! But I don't realy know if there is a right and a wrong way, as I have done both with no probs.

I put them both into a new place, and return them to their individual cages afterwards.
Skye

Ok, thanks very much.

Alex

And I've kept a male and female together all year round, including brumation, and had them mate. Corns don't seem very fussy.

BTW, I figure that males and females encounter the same climate in the wild, so I treat them identically at brumation time.