When should I start brumation?

[Neil]

Right, so I'm planning to breed my corns next year and have decided that I am going to brumate them for a couple of months.

People usually brumate their snakes in winter ie. December- February but I was wondering if I could do it a little later because of the very cold British winters- I don't want it to be too cold for them. Also, I'm being a bit naughty and breeding them quite young and I want to have a bit of extra time to feed up my female (just so you know, I would NEVER endanger my snakes by brumating or breeding them when they are too small to cope. I love my snakes).

Would I be able to start the brumation period a bit later ie mid to late January or is it really important that I start in November or December?

Thanks for your help,
Neil

[bmm]

Well I don't quite understand what you mean when you say "I am being a bit naughty and breeding them quite young"
but then you also say you wouldn't endanger them....I would just like to warn you that you could come into some serious problems and even lose your females if they are not at an appropriate size.

Also, younger, smaller females lay less egss. You won't be getting 12-20 eggs from your females if they are "quite young" maybe 6. But of course some have gotten lucky, and have had no problems but I would NOT do it. I have a female snow right now at 42 inches about, but I am waiting until next year. I want my first clutches to be big, healthy and I want my female to have the easiet time possible.

How big is your female now? 36 inches, I believe, is the minimum length you should be breeding your females. You are taking a risk doing it earlier. If she is far behind 36-40 inches, I would not brumate her at all, but spend the winter and next summer feeding her. And breed her in 2004.

bmm

[Neil]

Perhaps I wasn't very clear when I said 'quite young'.

A lot of the people I have talked to said they didn't breed their corns untill they were about four or five years old and my female is a little younger than that and about forty inches long so, therefore, around the minimum breeding size. Also, I wouldn't be brumating for another four months so she would gain some weight in that time. I wanted to know if I could put off brumation for a month or so because I wanted to make sure my corn was safe and of a decent size.

I hope this clears things up.
Neil

[bmm]

I see! Well fourty inches is a great size! Glad you are waiting a bit....:) She should give you some nice eggs!

I am really not sure about starting the brumation that late....because even though we control the temps, I think the corns naturally know late January is well into the winter and the brumation would last into the time when they normal are breeding, already out of brumation. But a more experienced person will be able to tell you for sure either way :)

bmm

[Rhoman]

If you can control the heat and the light completely then you could brumate in the middle of the summer if you wanted. The Corn snake manual even mentions this. But I imagine it can be difficult, you'd have to make sure that the only light they get is from your artificial lighting and you'd have to have a place that would stay cold enough late in the year. I believe the proper temps that would have to be reached would be around 50 or 55 degrees faranheit. Hope this helps.
Rhoman