Burmation one year, not another?

[marisa]

What are the effects on snakes when you brumate them one year and not another year? Or whatever...basically is it not a good idea to brumate at all if you always cannot? Or does it even matter?

Marisa

[MarcB]

Marisa,

Most snakes that have been brumated are on an internal biological clock that tells them to shut down roughly the same time each year...

Mind you many factors pre determin this such as health, food intake during conditioning months and so on..

Most healthy older snake that have been on a breeding cycle will stop eating and shut down on their own, eventhough breeding is not the objective with these, they should still be brumated as the opposite can be detrimental to their health...

Young snakes that are raised and not brumated will still slow down but not be affected the way an older breeder would....