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Hi Steve,
Here's the way I do it, and it works quite well.
Starting usually in mid-October I stop feeding my colubrids. They need about two weeks without food in order to get everything out of their digestive systems. If you cool them without "purging" their systems, you run the risk of losing your animals due to food rotting inside them.
Next, I gradually reduce the temps. The way I do this is to remove the snakes from the snake room and put them in containers with a water dish and lots of crumpled newspaper to hide in, and then place them somewhere where the temps are about regular room temperature for about three or four days. I then take them and put them in the basement where it's even slightly cooler (mid-60's) for a few more days. After that, it's into the cellar store room which at about that time of year (early November) is about 55 degrees F. That's where they stay for two-and-a-half to three months, after which I bring them out of the store room to temps of about mid-sixties for about four days and then back up to room temps (70 F) for acouple more days, then back into the herp room at about 80 - 82 degrees F ambient temps.
They usually start feeding a week or two after the warm-up, depending on the type of snake. I wait for females to undergo their first shed before I begin introducing them to their potential suitors.
I hope this helps. This is the way I've been doing it, and it's worked quite well for me. Others may have slightly different methods, but the basic "recipe" is the same.
Take care, and good luck!
Simon
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