Quick brumation question!!!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I have a quick question for you guys. This is the first year I'll be breeding garters on a large scale and so this year is my first brumation. I know all the ins and outs of it and have brumated my corns and other colubrids previous years, but for my garters, would a brumation of 4 weeks be acceptable, considering they were in a pitch dark environment and were at a temp of about 50 degrees 90% of that time?

I'm asking because I want to keep them down for as short a time as possible... so if you guys say yes four weeks is good then I'm going to bring them up sometime this week! I have 10 females and 7 males so.... here we go! lol

[Josh]

what are you selling?
any breeders?
EDIT: any radix?

[adamanteus]

I would say 'yes'. I've successfully bred different Garters after very short brumation, and even no brumation at all. You should be fine. I think a longer period of torpor increases the chances of a successful year, as it is this rest period that stimulates the production of sex cells..... but it still seems to work without.

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

the normal brumation of a wild garter is usually 3 months thats what i did

[Stefan-A]

Depends on the garter. Parietalis can hibernate for about 8 months. Then again, you can trick them into mating with a 24-36 hour hibernation. :p

[adamanteus]

This is true... in the wild, brumation can often be quite a protracted affair (radix too brumate for a long time) but this isn't necessary for captive reproduction. That was your question, right Shannon?

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I think I'll be alright, Scott told me to keep them down for between 4 and 6 weeks, and it was awfully cold down there.... dont worry though I peeked in on them every three days to make sure everything was good! I don't find it necessary to keep them down for a whole 3 months, but I'm sure it works seeing as that's how long they're naturally down for... but these guys are c/b except for the hypo girly and They've never really spent a winter outside... I'm going to go for it.

and this year I probably will not be breeding all of my females, but I should be producing the following:

albino checkered garters (of course)
Gorgeous VERY blue pugets
Oregon red spots
Melanistic wanderings
More "het hypos" from that female (not for sale)
some high red pallidulus (they possibly have some ribbon snake in them from the shapes of their faces)
possibly an intergrade or two ( i love unique looking snakes)
Normal wanderings

Next year in addition to the above I'll be producing:

florida bluestripes

Offspring from my trio of quad het plains which should include Nebraska and Iowa snows and albinos, as well as some anerys and normal possible hets

And I'll definately be picking up a few new pairs this year! so be on the lookout :D

[Sid]

I only do short burmations. Four to six weeks. This year, I did not burmate anything, but did shorten their day-light hours. After bringing the light hours up to 12, I put a male with each of the 3 grown female I have and they all mated. Now, I'll have to wait and see if there was any success.

[GarterGuy]

I haven't brumated any garters yet (they're all too young and I only brumate if I'm going to breed), but I know my L.m.thayeri were down for over 4 months and did ok. I usually don't like to go past two or three, but I was delayed in getting their tanks set up so I left them down an extra month plus. They came out ok and gave me a nice clutch of eggs.