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Heat wave; what should I do?

SnakeAround

SnakeAround

Formerly Blutengel
Tomorrow temps are up to 88-90 outside, which means I cannot keep temps lower then 84-86 in the viv corner. I know my corns won't like it, I will not feed them anyway to avoid problems. But is their yet risk for dying or illness?

Would this situation be worth the stress they will have when I put them in tubs in the bathroom for a day where temps probably will be 79-81? I'd need to put some together in that case too.

I hope to get some replies cause I get a little worried now.... Tnx!
 
Estimated temps where I live for this week are 104 degrees. :sobstory:
When it gets this hot I crank up the A/C. If you don't have A/C you could always get a big block of ice and put it behind a fan as a home made 'swamp cooler' if your place is too hot.
I don't think 84 - 86 temps will harm your snakes though.
 
Don't worry about those temps. Your snakes will be fine dealing with 85 -90 degree temps for a few days. Just make sure they have water offered in a large enough container they could soak in an cool off if need be and throw some ice cubes in the water every now and then to keep it cooler.

In the wild these animals deal with higher temps and do just fine by taking shade. So close the blinds, keep them with fresh water and they should be okay in those temps. It is certainly not a lifestyle we would want them to have year round, but seasonal temp changes are to be expected and these are hearty animals.

Best wishes to you
Dawn
 
I already lost three corns and an everglades ratsnake in the past 3 weeks caused by the heat...

my snakeroom/bedroom has been around 30C for about 3/4 weeks constantly... with peaks to 37 Celsius, that's when snakes started dying....

what I do, and I think that's the only thing you could do, is lights out...... blower on.... and keep the temperature as low as possible.... I do feed my snakes though... no regurgitating problems yet... never had though.... not with heat waves...
 
Yes , 98 Degrees Far. / 37 Celcius Is pushing it for a snake.

I am sorry for your troubles and losses there. I am under the assumption that you do not have air conditioning units in your houses to cool things down. Offer the cooler ( not too cold, we dont want to shock them!) water and every now and then put the snakes into it to cool them down. The important thing is that their bodies do not stay at an elevated heat for too long so if you offer cooler periods from water or another cooling source it will help them deal with it.
 
:)

I think many times we are here merely for support, not necesarily answers or facts. It is clear that we care for our animals deeply and We all want our animals to be in the best condition and care possible. Different people have different experiences along the way so its nice to learn from their experiences instead of having to figure it ALL out on our own. Best of luck to you in your heat wave. It has been 100 here for the last week too but luckily I have a cooling source to keep the house at 75-80F so the snakes are okay.
 
Well, in our country buying cooling facilities is quite expensive compared to the days it is really needed. Maybe with the heating of the earth someday I might buy airco and not have to worry anymore... :rolleyes:

I did have problems with some regurges, had those snak stested and they were clean so must have been heat sensitive snakes or something :shrugs: . 2 of 4 are back to normal eating and pooing. 1 adult ate a pinky yesterday after some refusals and weird poo, and putting in some Nutribac, only my gopher is refusing still... But he might be due to shed too, cannot see it very well with him and he takes ages to shed after clearing up. Gave him some Nutribac though yesterday.
 
If you are home and can drape the vivs with damp sheets or towels and have a fan blowing on them, that will cool down the vivs. But you can really only keep re-dampening the covers if you're home. Good luck!
 
Thanks for the advice, but I feel like I don't have to worry for dying snakes so draping wiht wet sheeds is too much trouble for now. I will spray water and maybe buy ice cube mals to make me some cubes to put in their water now and then, just for making them feel better. Hehe, yesterday I sprayed my yellow rat with a pressure sprayer and she kept still, enjoying the bath, even right in her face. She also drunk some water with her tongue I think. And it was only 26 degrees C. yesterday....
 
I wouldn't put ice cubes in their water, it seems like that would be quite a system shock to a cold blooded animal. Of course this goes with out saying, but I have to say it.... don't forget to unplug their heating elements during the day. It's been in the high 80's in my snake room this week due to the heat, I just unplugged the heat and made sure everyone had water. Spraying down the cage can help, I think they will be just fine.
 
Carol is absolutely right about the ice cubes and not "shocking the snake" . My suggestion was to just cool the water back down when it gets to be too warm,not to have floating cubes in it. The water should not be cooler than 75 degrees. A cool water spray of the enclosure instead though is a great idea instead of having to cool the bowl. Thanks for that point clarification Carol.
 
Thanks Carol for the advice on ice cubes. I think too cold water would shock the snake too much indeed. I do spray the tanks. And of course I put off the heating devices, which are lamps in my case, I don't mind you telling me. Only my 2 hatchlings are on UTH's, but not during the day. At night I want them to be in digestion temps at 1 side of their tub. I do have to imprint myself to put them off indeed in the morning. Oh, and my carpet python has 25 watt red light during the day, for local basking spot. For him the temps are just fine.
 
robin h said:
I already lost three corns and an everglades ratsnake in the past 3 weeks caused by the heat...

my snakeroom/bedroom has been around 30C for about 3/4 weeks constantly... with peaks to 37 Celsius, that's when snakes started dying....

what I do, and I think that's the only thing you could do, is lights out...... blower on.... and keep the temperature as low as possible.... I do feed my snakes though... no regurgitating problems yet... never had though.... not with heat waves...
Click to expand...

Forgot to tell you I hated to read about your snakes dying... :eek1: Is there not a cooler spot in the house to place them in tubs temporarily? Like the bathroom?
 
Today temps were 81-82, so they were fine today. Maybe at the warmest moment of the day they have been slightly higher, but I know they'll survive now. I sprayed all of them, and the adult non-corns LOVED it. My yellow rat just opened her mouth so at the sides the water could run into her mouth. The blue beauty just stayed curled where she was and enjoyed the 'rain'. So did the python.

Most corns tended to flee, but stopped when they realized they might like it :rofl: But since soem of them are juveniles, they just might have been more scared.
 
Is it really getting so hot just over the boarder. I've been keeping the shades down most the day, windows open, and any unneeded lights off. An have high temps of 31C In my Viv's with 38C outside. Good luck to you and Hope the heat passes.
 
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