Dropping their temperatures aka Cool-Down aka Brumation

This topic could fall under the sub-forum Husbandry and Basic Care, but IMO is more appropriate in this sub-forum because I believe it is a primary contributor to Health Issues and Feeding Problems (especially digestive disorders e.g. regurg).

Here's a link to a few thousand pics of Corns that, whether you're cognizantof it or not, are descendants from the same Corns that you all have.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=1&taxon_id=73887
if the link doesn't work then copy/paste it

Regardless of the difference between the patterns, colors, and scales (or lack thereof) between your Corns and the Corns in those photos your Corns have NOT biologically transformed themselves into tropical snakes.

Really, this should go without saying, but since the entire industry/hobby is ball-python centric it helps to periodically remind ourselves that Corns' annual body temps can fluctuate from 33f to ~90f.

For example, average temperatures in Ridgeland, SC (where Okeetees originate) range from 72f-92f in July down to 36f-58f in January.

Those of you that maintain a consistent year-round temperature range for your Corns are NOT providing them with an optimal environment. Corns are Temperate Colubrids they are not pythons or boas or even tropical colubrids.

This should also go without saying:

1) for reptiles Metabolism and Temperature are one and the same. There is no separating the two. There is no difference between the two.

2) The higher the temp the faster the heartbeat.

3) Temperate reptiles, and this includes ALL reptiles native to USA, are not designed to sustain a consistent heartbeat throughout the year.

When we do not provide seasonal temperature fluctuations all aspects of their health, including digestive health, are jeopardized.

For those of you who have done everything right but can't seem to understand why your snake is regurgitating, or having stools exhibiting incomplete digestion, ask yourself for how many years have you kept its Metabolism revving on high.

Even if you have no plans to breed, they still need a break, they need to be allowed to rest their digestive system. Shutting it down for Winter allows for more efficient digestion come Spring.


. :sidestep:

I am wondering if this also applies to hatchlings. Perhaps. But I won't give mine a cool-down towards brumation until she's full-grown. Thank you for the info.

My girls enclosure is 70-80 F most of the year , and she prefers the cool side with occasional basking.i offer tiered hides and deep bedding so she has choices. I let her out whenever she wants to and I'm around. Her outings last 30 minutes to a few hours. Usually 1-3 times per week unless shes in shed. I live in Oregon so my house is in the 60s. Ive had her 2 years. She is a very calm and good natured snake with no health problems. Obviously personalities differ but I do recall reading more than once about people brumating snakes and them coming out and being buttheads. I do wonder if it's because they couldn't leave to search out a different temperature, or it went on too long.

It has applied to hatchings since dinosaurs were pooping in puddles. It's only been in the last 50 years or so that herpetoculture has been practiced in USA, that many captive hatchlings have not been allowed to brumate.

It's too risky to brumate hatchlings of high-end morphs, products of extensive artificial selection. Too many wouldn't survive = losing profit$.

I don't own any morphs. IMO hatchlings of Locality Corns, in order to preserve robust bloodlines, should undergo a brumation of the same duration/temperature that they have for last ~65,000,000 years.