a fan for fridge to hybernate

[AlexPan]

hey every 1. I got a pair of Banded Cal Kings.. the only way i can have a chance to hybernate my snakes is by using a fridge.. so my quistion is, is there some kind of an air conditioner which i can install in my fridge to bring fresh air inside but at the same time cool the air down to the same temperature as the air inside? Hope some one can give me some tips :rolleyes: Thanks every 1.

[Lisa]

you could try putting something to keep the door slightly ajar.

[AlexPan]

you meen keep it a little open?.. but won't it let the cool air out and bring the warm air in which is usually like 20*C?

[Jeff Hathaway]

You can safely hibernate them in a fridge with the door closed. I have hibernated animals in a separate fridge which was only opened once a week to check on them. They were all fine. There is lots of air in there, and their respiration rates are so low that it will last a long time.

Any air exchange that is constant will likely overwhelm the fridge's ability to stay cold.

Jeff Hathaway
Sciensational Sssnakes!!

[C.m.pyrrhus]

Funny this has been brought up again. I stated last time about friends that use fridges to brumate their snakes and such. They usually put about a 1/4" to 1/2" hole in the door for ventilation.
Lately, I was checking some websites (don't have the URLs) about oxygen content and other environmental qualities inside of refridgerators. It was covering foods and so on, yet seemed to have enough of what it took to control a brumation period for snakes. I honestly think I may go this route next year. Due to some local record breaking cold spells, other factors and so on, I realized that a fridge just may be one good way to control the whole brumation period. I never looked into it this much except a few weeks ago. Looks good enough for me.....

[AlexPan]

Thanks guys but i would feel more satysfyted if i had a fan which i dscribed earlier. I gess the wholes might work but in my room it is always really HOT so that might be a problem. Thanks for youre help :)

[Lisa]

If it makes you feel more comfortable you could always open the fridge once a day blow some air in and then close it again... even though other people have said that they have no problem with the fridge as is.

[Scales Zoo]

What about an aquarium air pump, set up on a timer to come on a few times a day. That would bring in fresh air, but not do anything drastic to the temperature.

Ryan

[C.m.pyrrhus]

Think about natural hibernaculum. The places that snakes brumate are far from having a strong air circulation. I would bet that your fridge has better air circulation than most areas used to brumate naturally in the wild. It is not like you seriously need a fan to keep fresh air available 24/7. Just enough to keep the oxygen level high enough, which is not much (depending on the number of animals) for brumating snakes.

[AlexPan]

wow thats a great idea Scales Zoo :) . Thanks every one :) :)

[Invictus]

Make sure you check the temps of the fridge first. I was going to brumate my snakes in a fridge, but even on the lowest setting, the temperature wouldn't go above 41 degrees. That's too risky for my liking.

[Stockwell]

There are some good posts here...
Fridges have MUCH MORE THAN ENOUGH AIR for brumating a few colubrids...They don't consume much air, especially when they're shut down.
BUT, as Invictus points out... most fridges get too cold (for some species)
Cal Kings that are subjected to 3 months of temps in the high 30's and 40's can end up messed up in the Spring.(I've seen it)
Try to keep Temps above 50F. This can be done by turning up all the adjustment thermostats, by cracking the door, or by putting the entire unit on a separate thermostat, which is then put inside.

[Vengeance]

Call me a newbie but why would you hibernate your snakes anyway? Is it specifically for breeding purposes?

[Invictus]

Yes. Many snakes (including Cal Kings and some Milks) will not breed without a period of brumation. It's not really hibernation because they are not sleeping - it's just a period of inactivity due to cold temperatures. It's also believed that the cooling period aids in sperm production in the male. And even if you're not breeding, its sure nice to have 3 months off from feeding duties. :D

[AlexPan]

Just to get everything wright, here is what i think i'm supposed to do... stop feeding the snakes for 2 weeks so that all of their food will go out... hybernabte them for two weeks and the temperature have to be between 55-60F... warm them up for another 2 weeks and feed them a lot... then introduce them to each others cages so they get used to smells for a day or so... waight till they shed (but do not have to)... then poot them together for a week to mate... then seperate them for 2 days... then poot them togethen for another 1 week for the best fertalization... then separate... feed bouth of them... ones the female lays eggs incubate the eggs with the temperature of 82F.

Invictus you said it take 3 month, but as far as i know it takes like 6 1/2 weeks.. so where am i wrong? If something is wrong in here plz let me know. Thank you for youre time.

[Lisa]

With kings i'd supervise all times together.

[AlexPan]

What do you meen Lisa? You meen i should keep the male and female together all the time (how long)? Or you meen i need to keep eggs with the female? Thanks.

[crazyboy]

ihink she mans tha you should watchthem the whole time they aretogether so they dont eat eachother.

[Invictus]

2 weeks is not enough time for the brumation. The 6.5 weeks is probably the minimum to have them brumating at 50-55 degrees. This does not include the time to keep them off feed, and the time to warm them up.

[AlexPan]

WAA 6.5 week ??? wouldn't they starve to death in 6.5 weeks? Then is there a way so that i can change to a sertain temperature so that they will not have to stay in there for too long? Basycally i thought that the snakes can't leve for more then a month after they have lost all of food in them.

[Invictus]

I don't know where you've been getting your information, but snakes can go months on end with no food, and most do during the breeding season. Even when you bring them out of brumation, they may go another couple of months without any food at all. As long as your snakes are healthy sized when you put them down, they will be fine. My kings and milks are brumating right now, and they will be down for 2.5 months with no food.

[AlexPan]

Wow kool thanks :) ! So i should hybernate my Banded California King snakes for exaclty 6.5 weeks, and if its less then that they will not be in breeding mode? Also earlyer when i said to poot them together for 1 week to mate, Lisa said that i have to watch them all of the time... so when i go to sleep i have to separate them till ones again i can watch them? Thanks

[Invictus]

No, you should brumate them for at LEAST 6 weeks. I'd recommend 8 though. Not that I'm overly experienced, that's just what I've gathered from the breeders that I've talked to.

[joshm]

I don't think you are fit to breed anything if you can't learn, this is not rocket science here. Pick up a book and read, read the care sheets and forums. Lots of breeders have care on their web pages. I don't won't sound harsh, but we all can't do the thinking for you. If you don't have the brains to learn then it is not fair to the animals in question. You are not putting any thought into your questions and it sucks to see that, because I feel for the animals if you can't figure this out, I mean do you know anything.
Josh

[AlexPan]

Thanks Invictus :)

[Scales Zoo]

Joshm.

Alex is trying to learn, and has come to the best place to do it.

As far as I know, there is a language barrier - and some people have been very good about trying to work around that.

A book is a very good place to start but your post wasn't very constructive.

Ryan

[joshm]

If there is a language barrier then I will appoligize, but for people not reading and learning before haveing these animals is wrong. It is a privelege to own them and to take care of them and too many people abuse it. He should have done his homework before aquiring these snakes. The questions he asks are basic and people should know these things before running out and buying snakes, even if they are common or only worth $75 dollars. They are not disposible pets and people need to learn without people holding their hands. Like I said there is tonnes of info out there and people are getting to lazy to do it themslves. By reading his posts I don't think he has alot of knowledge and I don't won't to see the snakes suffer because of it. All I'm saying is if you want to own these things, then do your homework first, without asking everyone to do it for you. This is so the animals have a good and prospurose life. Well I think I'm done ranting now.
Josh

[Scales Zoo]

There is a language barrier, a quite severe one.

The way I understand it, he is double checking with us, the information he has read (in english) to make sure he has things correct, because he doesn't want to do it wrong - which is good.

When I started, I used to double check and triple check the information I had read or was given - not because of a language barrier.

Thanks for the clarification Josh

Ryan

[AlexPan]

Joshm, i really apresheate youre consern for anymals But, you should really read carefully before making any coments! You have comented that i am getting the snakes with out knowing anything about them, which is apsolutley wrong and have no idea what made you think that.

Firtable i know everything of my anymal's habitats, and their temperatures as to how to keep them. Secondable i just got a pair for my male King and want to know how to Breed Them NOT to know how to take care of them which i already know, i know all of the info to keep them and was just doble checking on how to breed them cause the internet sources can be some times out dated.

Basycally what i wana say is i am a very sensytive person when it comes to my anymals and my selph, when it came to the point where a person starts saing shet with out knowing me as a person or my knowledge. I have dedicated my whole life and will do everything i can for all living creatures untill i can mouve no more. I have saved lives of other anymals including fighting to save something as small as a bee, the last thing i would do is to get an anymal which i know nothing about!

[Removed_2815]

Originally posted by AlexPan
so when i go to sleep i have to separate them till ones again i can watch them?
That's correct. Provided that that both parties are interested and have undergone a proper brumation, copulation should occur almost immediately, especially with the colubrids in question. These snakes are very easy to breed. Simply introduce the animals, do not leave unsupervised (kings are well-known ophidiophages), and separate them when you see copulation. Repeat this process until you are certain that a successful copulation has taken place. If the male is not interested in the first 10-15 minutes then leaving him with the female longer will not likely induce a copulation, just separate them and try later.
Cheers,
R

[Removed_2815]

Alex,
One more thing, I think Josh alluded to this earlier: it may be a good idea to pick up a book on Kingsnakes that has all the step-by-step information laid out for easy reference (not that I don't want to answer your questions, I do wish to help) so that you have the information at your fingertips.
I have never even owned a kingsnake (nothing against them, just not my favourite species of snake) and I just dug up two books on kingsnakes from my library (evidently I purchased and read them long ago).
Here (http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0812042409/qid%3D1073454852/701-2169940-2781113) is one of the books I would suggest.
Cheers,
R

[joshm]

Just to get everything wright, here is what i think i'm supposed to do... stop feeding the snakes for 2 weeks so that all of their food will go out... hybernabte them for two weeks and the temperature have to be between 55-60F... warm them up for another 2 weeks and feed them a lot... then introduce them to each others cages so they get used to smells for a day or so... waight till they shed (but do no WAA 6.5 week ??? wouldn't they starve to death in 6.5 weeks? Then is there a way so that i can change to a sertain temperature so that they will not have to stay in there for too long? Basycally i thought that the snakes can't leve for more then a month after they have lost all of food in them
t have to)... then poot them together for a week to mate...
This is what makes me believe that you don't know what you are talking about, if you know about the animals then you should know about them going long periods without food and how to brumate them. There are many more posts but I'm not going hunting I think this should be enough.
Thanks Josh

[AlexPan]

Thanks RMbolton :) . I'l defenaty gona get that cool book :) . Thanks every 1.