coppers and brumation

[mikem]

my copperheads quit eating late september. i've offered food every other week since and they're not interested. i have 2 females and 1 male that i would like to breed this coming spring. what's the best way to cool them down? i don't have a basement, but i have a shed outside. any advice would be appreciated. thanks.

[C.m.pyrrhus]

If they are of good weight and health, then a short cooling could be good. If you want to brumate them, the use of your shed would be fine as long as the temps do not go down very far and there is no drafts. You may need to seal cracks and insulate the snakes as well from extreme temperatures. A recommended temp of 55° and 10-12 weeks of the cold may encourage eating and possibly some breeding. I have two crotalids as of now with the rest of my brumating snakes and 2 Sonoran Sidewinders that are not. They are still young, about 4 months old and I desided to feed them through the winter and brumate them next year for a short time. They would not feed for their first 4 weeks, so they got a slow start.
But since yours seemed to go off feed, it could be a sign that they want to brumate, or maybe just being picky eaters.

[reverendsterlin]

I have 1 wdb eating still the other stopped a month ago, the hognose quit about 3 weeks ago, 1 neo corn quit, 3 still going, cantil 2 weeks(her temps are good), all the boas about 6 weeks(they will warm early Febuary). Everyone else still chowing hard but most will get induced in a couple of more weeks.