Yet another brumation question.

[CrazyHedgehog]

I cool the garters every year, never a full on brumation in my eyes, but heat mats off and lights off but leave in the house.
The tanks are large enough to not change very much from room heat.
I usually offer food during this time just in case, if anyone decides they are hungry I tend to start the warm up process.
I wanted to brumate properly this year, outside its freezing, we lost electric to the shed, so can't use the greenhouse 'low heater thing' to stop freezing outside, so going outside is out of the question. Inside the tanks, its at 60f which although enough to put off food, I am not sure that its cool enough...
This year is different though as some are quite small from this year, I do not want to lose them.
AGGGHHHH

so finally my questions...

1) is 60f too warm to even try?
2) should I just keep the temps up as normal?
3) I have read on here the brumation temps seem to be between 45f to 55f, has anyone brumated at different temps?

Thank you in advance.

[gregmonsta]

The only place that I can brumate effectively is my walk in kitchen cupboard. It's probably worth checking various parts of the house for a suitable cold spot. My attic was too cold, the bottom of the hallway too, but my kitchen cupboard ranges between 6-11C (43-52F), avg 8C when winter is fully established, and this is where I'll put them. This will be for my infernalis, parietalis and radix this year. I'm not breeding my concinnus so am keeping them as normal and I just employ a slight temp reduction for the Florida blues and the marcianus. In my marcianus enclosure the big female is still eating and active with a 4C drop, whereas the albino has been self-brumating in the cold corner of the viv for the last 2-3weeks already.

[Selkielass]

This is my first year attempting brumation.
I was hoping to use an unheated foyer, but found it was getting too warm during the day (65)

I ended up setting up an old refrigerator in my basement as a brumation chamber.
I turned the temp dial to its warmest setting, let it stabilize, then adjusted it slowly downward until I got it around 50, steadily. Temp is checked twice a day- I have a traditional thermometer sitting.g on the bottom shelf, and a small digital with a probe stuck to the outside of the door w the probe hanging out inside in the top third of the chamber.

Temperatures were uneven from top to bottom, so I added a small cylindrical fan unit. (If an aromatherapy diffuser without the cartridge. ) temps are now even, it smells MUCH better inside, and troubleing condensation has stopped.

Probe and fan cord just run out thru top and bottom door seals- extra air sorcery makes me feel a bit better about shutting my dearies in the box. I'm checking temps morning and night and opening the door at least once a day to freshen air supply. I have read that a fish tank air pump with the tube run into the fridge is a good way to assure fresh air, but I have t tried it myself.

I'm checking brumating easterner and Butlerii, so im aiming for 40 to 50.

[Greg'sGarters]

I went out and bought myself a Kenmore Wine Cooler, and I love it. It has a thermostat, and thermometer. It can be locked to keep the snakes in and my niece out :). I just take out all the racks and I can fit 7 brumation containers in there at once. You can control the upper and lower chambers separately. I love it. I always keep the blue lights on to simulate a little light but not too much. Mine brumate at around 48 degrees. You can see what I use below.

Picture Of The Wine Cooler (http://i.oodleimg.com/item/3076543778u_2x424x360f?1340991771)

You Can Order It Here (http://www.sears.ca/product/kenmore-elite-38-cu-ft-wine-cooler-stainless-steel/646-000088526-DWC286BLS)

[ConcinusMan]

I just stuck mine, enclosures and all, in a back room cut off from the rest of the house. Keeps them at 45-50 F day and night with the weather we have this time of year. Yes, there's still activity but not much.

60 really isn't cold enough for them to digest food efficiently, if at all and it isn't cold enough to keep them from dropping weight either. But if some of those snakes went off food anyway, the cooler temps should help slow weight loss. If they're losing significant weight then at some point you have to make a decision to bring them out or go colder. 60 really isn't the place to be if you can't digest and it's also not cold enough to stop weight loss.