brumation/ no brumation

What is the thoughts on this? Are good clutches able to be had if you do not brumate your corns?

Anyone have figures, or reading or experiences?

I will brumate mine if i need to next season, but if its not always needed, then I'd prefer not too. Just because of convience reasons, as I have like no where to achieve the proper burmating temps at this time.

bmm

http://www.geocities.com/hognose2209/Brumation.html

Perhaps if it doesnt snow where you live then you can keep the snakes outside your home or apartment...That should be addaquet (if it doesnt snow) If it does I would put then in the garrage (if no one parks in ther)

oh

haha I can assure you it's not possible to put the snakes in the garage where I live!

I live in Onatrio, Canada. and we are lucky if the garage is 40 degrees in the winter, let alone around 50 degrees. And often it goes far lower than that for days at a time.

But inside my house everywhere remains 70 or so, and no where does it remain 50-60 degrees.


I have looked into other options such as a bar fridge with temp control, but so far haven't really found anything that is worth the cost as I will only have 2-4 snakes to brumate.

so I have been reading about people not brumating and was wondering what other people have experienced when they do not brumate.

bmm

bain-marie (but kind of backwards)

do you have a basement or a breaze-way?... you might be able to set the tank in a large basin that has a few inches of chilly water (or melting snow) in it to help cool the tank down,...that would require water changes and all, but it could work

maybe

Our bio class had a pair of corns who have never been brumated. Every year that they have bred so far there has been a 100% hatch rate. These two are also housed together though so they breed a whole bunch of times which may have something to do with the 100% hatch rate. THe female laid 11 eggs this year and they all hatched. THe previous year she laid 9 and they all hatched too.

One of my friends had a pair of his snakes successfully breed without brumating them and the female laid 8 eggs, all good.

I think this shows that you don't HAVE to brumate your corn(s) to breed them but some people like to get a rest from feeding their gazillion corns (cuz no one can have just one) and to get the males' and females' reproductive cycles in sync so there will be a better chance of successful breeding. I think I read something like that somewhere once...but I don't remember exactly what it said.

Anyway, just letting you know that you can get good clutches without brumating your corns.

I never brumate. So far this year my two healthy 9 year old females (with the help of a 9 year old male) have produced:

Snow - 24 eggs in first clutch (none infertile), 20 eggs in second clutch (1 infertile)
Amel - 27 eggs in first clutch (2 infertile), second clutch due during the next week & expecting another 20+

So it works for me !

Cheers
Kel

wow

Great news about those with good clutches when they didn't brumate!

This will be my first breeding year, well next year actually to late already this year but anyways, and I think I might just try and let them go at it...maybe house the females with their mates from march-april? I don't like housing my snakes together all the time or else I would just do that and let nature take its course.

bmm

maybeee this would help . . .

i have seen heat mats/pads with a dimmer switch, you know like you can use with house-lights. Well you can control the temperature very easily with those i hear. If you could not get hold of one of them then you could buy the mat and the dimmer switch (from an electrical stor) seperatly and connect the dimmer to the mat ?!?!?! i dont know as i have not tired this, its just what i have heard . . .


KRIS

but

How would that help me get the temps so low? That would only warm up the tank. Even with no heat source my tanks are still well above the temps needed for a proper cool down. thank you though

marisa

Don't brumate if it isn't convenient. Many, many people can add to the success stories of breeding without brumation. I don't think I will brumate this next year. Mine layed 5 fertile without brumation this year. Yes, the pair was housed together.

From what has been posted and what I've heard previously, it's not whether breeding will be successful or not but how many eggs will be laid. Most of the clutches I've heard about that come from non-brumated females tend to be somewhat smaller than clutches from brumated females. I don't know if there is an actual correlation here or not but from what I've read lately it seems to be true.

Does anyone know if clutch size has anything to do with brumation or not?

Anyone with any experience in this?