Temperature range for brumation

Invictus · 10-10-04, 01:58 AM

With the brumation season just around the corner, I've been thinking about how I'm going to go abotu brumating my snakes this year. I'd like to keep them in my house, but the best I can do as far as low temps go is 68 degrees in my basement, which is fully finished. What I want to know is, has anyone ever brumated at around this temp? Is it safe, or is that just cool enough to kill them, but not cool enough to slow down their metabolic processes? Will it be effective enough for milk snakes and king snakes?

Jeff_Favelle · 10-10-04, 02:58 AM

Brumation temps that are too high will usually result in sick snakes. They go into a rest state, the temps are so dang high, they metabolize like crazy. Not a good thing I think, do you?

If it was up to me and I was stuck with either 68F brumation or no brumation, I'd take no brumation, and then take my chances with infertile eggs, rather than sick breeding stock.

Katt · 10-10-04, 11:12 AM

65F to 75F is the danger danger zone for brumation!

I'm with Jeff. Either don't brumate or find a place that's 60F or below. We aim for 55F and for my russian rats even cooler than that.

The first year we bred, we brumated at 65-68 and our animals came out SICK. RI's everywhere! We lost a few good animals. Don't make the same mistake.

Stockwell · 10-10-04, 11:24 AM

Yup I agree, temps in the 60's can make snakes sick... You need to shoot for 52 to 55F.
I run two systems set 3 degrees apart.. Normally the room runs at 55. If it can't keep up and fall to 52F, the second system kicks in.
Ken, one trick that somtimes works, is to cut out a small area of insulated wall in your basement.. Find a corner or some inconspicuous spot, and get exposure to the brick... Then build a box with only side and a top and back, using the floor and the cold brick wall for the missing sides.. Insulate the sides exposed to your heated basement, holding the heat out, and the cold from the wall and floor in. This should provide the target temp

Invictus · 10-10-04, 12:30 PM

There is one section of my basement that has a concrete floor, but it's right next to the furnace room. I'll see if the floor temp is below 60. If it is, I'll just put them on the floor under the stairs or something. Failing that, I do have the option of a heated garage, but that's also my workshop... I'm worried that the vibrations from cars and power tools might freak the snakes out a bit. Failing that, I guess I'll keep searching for a cold basement.

Thanks everyone.