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Hibernation???

C

CoalsandEmbers

New member
So I've watched lots of snakebytetv on YouTube for more information on things and I've heard him talk about hibernating his snakes and reptiles. Do you have to hibernated your snakes? Why or why not?
 
If your snake is a pet why would you?

If you have your snake for other reasons, maybe. But if you don't do things right the snake could die.
 
The only reason to hibernate is for breeding. It mimics their natural cycle in the wild and helps get them ready to do their snakey business.
 
With reptiles, you brumate not hibernate. With some species it is absolutely required to do for breeding. Species like corn snakes not so much. Corn snakes are known to breed without brumating. I will brumate most of my snakes species to mainly take a break from care and feeding.
 
daddio207 said:
With reptiles, you brumate not hibernate. With some species it is absolutely required to do for breeding. Species like corn snakes not so much. Corn snakes are known to breed without brumating. I will brumate most of my snakes species to mainly take a break from care and feeding.
Click to expand...

This.
I brumated my Corns the first year of breeding, but have not since then.
In addition to helping you with the timing of ovulation, it can also trigger some non feeding babies to eat.
You will hear both sides of the argument for brumating babies.
Some do not brumate babies in order to continue feeding them, to get some size on them.

I might start brumating again in the next couple of years, since I will be needing to cool my Carpet Pythons for breeding.
 
This too ;)

I only brumate snakes that are of breeding age and size. All other hatchlings to sub-adults are not brumated.
Keeping over 20 species of snakes it is now just easier to brumate all breeding age and size adults whether it is necessary for that species or not for breeding.
For instance my corns will breed without brumation but I find it necessary for my beauty snakes to mate.
I don't go as cold as what is usually recommended but cold enough to slow their metabolism so they lose very little weight.
 
Corn Snakes are interesting in this respect. They make up one of the largest groups of snakes found in the USA. Of course it gets pretty cold in New Jersey, and so a Corn Snake up there would probably hibernate for 4 or 5 months. Whereas the same animal in Southern Florida or Texas may remain active all year long and never hibernate. That is the primary reason the Rat Snake Family (which includes Corn Snakes) tend to grow much larger in Florida. Because they have a "Longer Growing Season" and they are eating while the northern snakes would be sleeping. I say a "Yellow Rat Snake" in Florida one time that was 8 feet long. The biggest rat snake I've ever seen. I doubt you'd ever see anything like that where Rat Snakes only eat 6 or 8 months out of the year.
 
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