to brumate or not to brumate?

[KingFfaj]

i've just put my cal king down for the winter for the first time in his life, i'm planing on breeding him soon, but obviously if i get a female before 2004 (or in 2004) she would not have been brumated, so chances are he will not get his end away next spring?
Its only been 3 weeks and already he has lost his plumpness, and doesnt really seem to no what to do, he keeps looking for the heat source and keeping his head near the heat lamp?
Im just wondering if it will do him any good to brumate him as he looks so hungry and he may not get to mate this coming season?
he has refused his last two meals thats why i decided to put him down when i did, there is definatly nothing in his system.
Should i carry on letting him get cold and hungry? or fattern him up for next year?:confused:

[Simon Sansom]

Hi King,

Just a few quick points...

- An obviously underweight or noticeably thin animal should not be brumated. Males should be in top condition before cooling, as most of them also don't feed during the breeding period after brumation, which may exceed a period of another three or four months on top of the time during brumation when they are off the feed-bag. Basically, use your own best judgement on this. If the animal is not what you would consider to be top-notch and healthy, then I'd recommend against brumation.

- During brumation the animal's metabolism should slow down, and he should not be hungry. I'm not quite sure that I follow you - Is the animal "brumating" right now? What temperatures do you have him at?
A lot of folks that I know shoot for a constant temperature of around 55 degrees F.

I hope that this has been of some assistance to you.

Cheers!

Simon

[KingFfaj]

i've just reached 60 degrees F so nearly there, he's looking fine and has been very well fed up untill three weeks ago and was looking quite plump.
Since i wrote the post above he seems to have settled down a bit so i will probably leave him be for now.
Hopefully I will get a female this year or early next, and should be ready to breed them for the following year.
thanx for your help

[Lisa]

Why brumate if you have no mate? I don't see the point.

[Vanan]

Lisa, breeding isn't the only reason breeders/keepers brumate their snakes. Some do so to illicit a better feeding response in young snakes. Some cool some snakes down just cos if they don't the snake would go off feed anyways. Then there are some who believe that it would aid in longevity if they were allowed to brumate.

Not sure what KingFfaj's reason is though.

[Weather1]

I do not have plans to breed my snakes yet since I do not have any pairs. They are pets and I like to play with them, so if I cooled them down I would be getting rid of my pets for a few months. When it comes time to breed I have one snake that is kinked so she will never breed so I will always have a pet to play with.

I would not cool unless I was going to breed.

Just my 2 cents

[munchy]

any pics of the 'kinked' snake? what exactly do you mean by kinked? obviously you wouldnt want to breed it, but has its deformity caused any problems or does the snake lead a normal life? either way i think it is great you even kept a snake like that to begin with. a lot of people im pretty sure would have euthanized the poor thing.

[Weather1]

I will try and get a picture later this week.

She lives a normal life, eats everything, has never refused a meal.

Not sure if the kink has anything to do with her growth rate but she is about 5-6 inches shorter then a male I have born on the same day?

[munchy]

interresting. is it a king?

[C.m.pyrrhus]

Brumating is good for general all-around good health. Some species are not in a general need for it, some folks just do not do it either.
The reasons I do it is for general health. Most of my collection is WC and gifted WC snakes. A lot of them montane species as well (pyros, cerberus and wandering garters to name some). These animals have been brumating every year for ~16 weeks or more in the wild so I continue this for them in captivity. I do plan on breeding a few good pairs I have as well, yet not all are going to bred, only about half. They need it in order to keep up with their natural cycle of seasons, and have actually all gone off feed for 3-4 weeks prior to brumating.
Now folks with CB snakes (or any "brumating" species) choose to do so or not when it comes to brumating. I see it as better off if not nessesary to do so. As long as it is done correctly, I feel it is a bonus for them to go through what nature has designed for them to do. No harm can be done unless, of course, the process is flawed somewhere.

[KingFfaj]

As i said he stoped feeding a few weeks ago, thats why I started to brumate him, and hopefully he'll be expecting it next year when the temps drop.
Also i'm not complaining on saving a few pounds here and there over the coming months, if ya know what i mean.
So to summerise, let the little bugger starve and cancel christmaso>

[Weather1]

munchy interresting. is it a king?

If that was for me, then No. She is a creamsicle corn snake.

My friends 11/2 son has stole the camera and he is unable to find it in the house. So as soon as he does I'll get a picture of her Kink.

[marisa]

KingFJaf- My cal king male stops eating around this time of year or a bit later three years in a row, so this year even though he won't be breeding in the upcoming season, I am brumating him. He wants to anyways so I am letting him. lol. Looks like both our kings are skipping out on the holidays. Good luck

Marisa

[KingFfaj]

I know! and I would of bought him a piece of coal anyway, oh well more pie and brandy for me hehe.
Thank you Marisa!