The problem with answering your question is partly the way you worded it. "Does it help or hurt?"----> In my opinion it does not help or hurt to brumate. I have a '97 amel that has never been brumated and he is perfectly fine---eats like a horse, not fat, and he's the nicest snake in the world. Whenever my mice colonies get out of hand, I can always count on him to put a few more away. In captivity,their brumating instincts may never kick in if the temperature does not drop and the light cycles never change.--> Does this hurt them? I do not think so. You have to keep in mind that wild cornsnakes, depending on their locality, may never brumate or they may brumate for shorter periods of time each year (e.g Miami). A major part of brumation in the wild also depends upon the food supply available to them. ---If the deer and field mice hunker down for the winter, so will the snakes. As far as helping them, I think it helps more in the sense of triggering an up-coming breeding season; yet as we know, brumation is still not necessary for mating. I think it helps caregivers more, because of the lessened food supply, which in turn is less money for food for a couple of months (for those who purchase feeders, especially with larger collections). Hope this helps.
