Brumation question

[Tori]

This will be the first time I've been in a position to brumate my snakes. I've read everything that has been posted on here on what to do and I hope I am doing it right. Temps are around 50 degrees. Gave them 3 weeks without food while dropping the temps and the amount of light they got. Have them in total darkness now. My question is, is it normal for them to spend a lot of time in their water bowls? You would think they were getting ready to shedd. I've seen them do that if the room was too warm, but at 50 degrees? I just figured they used the water to help regulate their body temperatures. But why now? Is it likely to make them sick?

[jitami]

No first hand experience, but I've heard it is common :)

[dashnu]

Tori, this is also my first year, I did not do much in the likes for "preparing" them for brumation. I simple took them out of their enclosure put them in a small breeding box with aspen and a water bowl stuck them in the basement for a week and now in my crisper of my fridge. I used my fridge controls to change the temps from there. I started at 46 now im at 42 gonna keep it there. They have been in there for almost a month I think.

Long of the short, I think you snakes are fine and you will have no trouble brumating them.

[Stefan-A]

My question is, is it normal for them to spend a lot of time in their water bowls? You would think they were getting ready to shedd. I've seen them do that if the room was too warm, but at 50 degrees? I just figured they used the water to help regulate their body temperatures. But why now? Is it likely to make them sick?
As far as I can tell, it is normal among wild snakes as well. It has been suggested that it improves their chances for surviving the winter. I don't remember why that was, but if I had to guess, it would have something to do with keeping the body temperature as stable as possible. But like I said, I don't remember what the possible explanation was.

[Tori]

I feel a little better now. It was really worrying me, but I'm a worrier. It seemed like almost half the snakes were laying for hours in their water bowls. And if they thought that would warm them up, they were in for a big disappointment. It is ok for them to get down to 42 degrees? My basement has an old coal room. It is large enough to get all the cages into after being scrubbed and painted. I have insulated it from the rest of the basement so that it doesn't get heat from the furnace. But the ceiling is only 7 foot and I think you have to hit 6 to get below the freeze line. I figured that the temps will keep at around 50 for most of the winter there. There is a closed-off window that I can use to ventilate if it isn't cold enough. Somebody please tell me if I am doing the right things. I know I am acting paranoid.

[Sid]

Tori, I keep mine in a basement as well. Temps stay 45- 50 F. and I have never had a problem.