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Burmate or Not?

For what its worth I only do what I call a "half brumation." The temps in my area just don't get cold enough to fully brumate. If they do get cold enough, they don't stay cold enough. I always try to keep lights as close to the sun's schedule as possible. Since my temps don't get low enough, I keep the heat on, that way my snakes aren't in "limbo" (not cold enough to induce brumation, which will still use up alot of calories and much needed mass, and not warm enough for proper digestion, etc.) but my photoperiods reduce greatly, and I have had no problem with breeding responses.
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interesting. What are the temps you keep them at, and for how long does your "half brumation" last? You still take them off feed, correct?
 
I didn't brumate this last year~ but I did the year before and I plan to again this year. Not brumating worked~ but most of my girls went much later in the season than I would have liked. I get some control when I brumate.

That said~ it gets too hot here to brumate. What I did before and will do again this year is to use an ice chest. I put the snakes in smallish tupperwares with tiny water bowls. Put the tupperwares in an ice chest~ run in the remote probe for a thermometer and put it in the garage where it is likely to stay coolest. Every afternoon around 12-2 pm when it is most likely to get too warm~ I check the temps. IF the temps are above 63-65F I wrap a blue ice chunk (just an ice pack basically) in several towels and put it on top of the tupperwares. When the temps drop back down below 60F I take out the blue ice. The Ice chest does a pretty good job of keeping the temps steady.

They get no light during brumation in an ice chest. Didn't seem to hurt them at all.
 
NoSoPirate, I do not take them off feed. The temps aren't low enough to slow down their metabolism. When you do a full brumation with low temps, They almost shut down and thats why oftenm alot of snakes will come out without looking like they even lost a single gram. If I were to take them off feed, they would still continue to burn calories at an almost-normal rate. Their metabolism wouldn't slow down enough, and it would jeopadize their health. My temps get to only slightly lower than normal...averaging about 73-75 ambiant, however I do keep their heat tape on. I was a little apprehensive about doing it at first because I thought that they would spend all of their time on the warm side, but the slight temp change doesn't affect them. They still continue to thermoregulate like normal, and still have access to a warm spot to allow for proper digestion.

I've noticed that alot of animals are affected more by photoperiod than by temp. Winter is show season out here for my Arabians, and they can grow a mean long wooly coat, which is not "desireable" in the show ring. Judges want the sleek soft summer coat look. Most people do a full body clip (shave) which works, but normally mutes the color of the coat and takes away alot of the luster and sheen that Arabs are famous for. I have set up a timer with halogen lights in each of the stalls in the barn, which are kept on year round and are set at summer hours. During the day, its still warm enough for them to sport their summer coats without anything extra, but they get blanketed at night. And in the meantime, their coat maintains that glossy silk feel instead of looking like a wooly mammoth. I was kind of lost when I realized that temps didn't get low enough to brumate, so I tried this little theory out and it works great for me. :)
 
Intresting Ice Chest idea. I think I will follow the no light idea. Just the easiest to control. Just cover all the tubs and cool. I live in Michigan so its pretty easy to just open a window or shut if too cool. And if Im on vacation for 3/4s of the time. The cool temps wont bother me cheaper heating bill too when temps are kept cooler :)
 
Jynx said:
They almost shut down and thats why oftenm alot of snakes will come out without looking like they even lost a single gram.
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Interestingly enough, the first year I brumated every one of 6 snakes gained weight during the brumation period of 70 days (that was a shocker to say the least), and I have had at least 3-4 that have done so the last two years. Those that lose weight have not lost more than 5-8 grams.

I also keep them isolated in total darkness during this period. They are kept in cupboards on an outside wall. If the temps get below 52 on me in the cupboards I just open them up a bit to stabilize the temps.

D80
 
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