How to bring a snake out of brumation safely?

[d_virginiana]

A family member of mine is about to buy a couple of garters, and one of them is currently brumating. They don't really know much about garters, so I'm helping them out with how to care for them. I've never brumated any of mine though, so I don't know how to bring one out of brumation safely.
I just thought I'd post this here so I can pass on the info.

[Greg'sGarters]

This is my first time brumating (garter snakes) too! How are you brumating them? What you have to do is slowly bring the temperature back up to normal and then take them right out. For example, bought a wine cooler to brumate mine in, and there is a thermostat on there, so I can slowly bring the temperature up until it is normal starting February 9th ending February 14th they will go from 48 degrees all the way up to 64 degrees. If you have any more questions, feel free to post them up here, or PM me.

[d_virginiana]

Well, I'm not the one that's going to be getting them, and I don't know how they are being kept. I'll try and find out what temp it's being kept at right now. Any suggestions on how to get the temps up slowly? Is there any specific heat equipment they should buy? They don't have much equipment so they'd have to buy whatever is needed.

[Invisible Snake]

Shouldn't the seller bring them out of brumation?

[d_virginiana]

Shouldn't the seller bring them out of brumation?

For all I know, he might be planning on doing that. I've asked my dad to get more info on what's going on; he doesn't really know any of the terminology , so I probably just need to get him to forward all the e-mails to me so I have a better idea of what's going on.

[ConcinusMan]

I just bring them out in the a.m. and let them stay in their tubs at room temp for most of the day. Then just put them right back in their normal home, then turn on their heat and let it warm to normal temps. There's really no need to be gradual about it. The gradual cooling and fasting you do before putting them in is necessary so they know what's up and their bodies can prepare and make the necessary metabolic changes. Bringing them out is different. No need to worry about being gradual. Even after fully warming up, they won't be themselves for a while. They'll be a little sluggish. They'll adjust in a few days or a week.

If I watch the ground temperature monitors around here at the approximate depth that they hibernate at, there's very little change from the dead of winter to a week of 70's in the spring. It's only a couple of degrees that prompts the snakes to come out. When they do, they warm right up. They don't do it gradually. One day they're under ground where it stays in the 40's, and the next day they're in the sun and their bodies are warmed into the 80's.