Kinks and their origin?

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

So lately I have got to thinking about kinked babies and have just realized that in my entire history of keeping snakes, across the board I have never had a single kinked or deformed baby to date. I have seen a few runts, but nothing physically deformed or bent. I see others having kinked babies relatively often and I, like those others usually have several clutches of babies a year of various species, both thamnophis and others. My question is.... where do kinks come from? How have I been so lucky? at what temperatures do those of you that have experienced kinked babies do you let the female's bask in? My own personal guess is that some kinks are probably just random deformities, while others may be from improper temperatures, either too high or too low, at crucial stages in developement when the spine and vertebrae are forming. I am actually leaning myself towards possibly, too high of a basking temperature may cause an increase in kinks, only because I have never allowed my females even more heat during gestation than when they are not gravid and I consistently have produced non-kinked babies, and I have heard that some keepers increase temps for their females during gestation? Keep in mind this is all my own speculation but I am purely curious... what is the underlying cause of kinked babies? I am thinking the majority of it has got to be an external environmental factor because I have had many litters of snakes born and have never even seen a kinked baby in the flesh!!! But with others I see kinked young born each year and it's really starting to bug me!! where do they come from!?!

[GartersRock]

I am wondering that too. I keep a pretty "low" consistant temp on all of my garters. And I don't increase the temps at all for gravid females. I have never had any deformed, kinked, stillborns, jelly beans or slugs. Even in litters as large as 35... I wonder...

[TwistidMutations]

What temps are you guys keepin your animals at?

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I keep the majority of my garters at my snakeroom's room temperature, which reaches about 84 on the hottest of days and dips down to 71-ish at night. The garters that have lights in their tanks, most of those bulbs do not give heat because the room is already so warm there's no reason for more heat. I do not give my gravid females additional supplemental heat. I take them out regularly and let them slide through my fingers for a while to assure they are getting just a bit extra excersise during gestation. I still feed them on the same days as everyone else, just offer them a few extra pieces at each meal. I do not stuff them until bursting point because I feel this is unhealthy and may cause undue strain on the snake's body and a weakened heart. I have had litters with as little as 3 and as many as 40.

[GartersRock]

I keep mine about the same! 80-84 room temp almost 24/7 it doesn't get much cooler then 78 in my garter room even at night since this is south tx we are talking about. No basking spots or anything.

I don't give gravid females any extra heat. And only a little more food on feeding day like Shannon. Hmmm....

[snakeman]

My basking spot got up to 90.It resulted in kinks.This was the only year I got kinks and the only year my basking temps were that high.Don't believe everything you read.I read it was alright.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

hmmmm, so possibly there is some sort of link between too much heat, and kinking? Thanks Tom, that was interesting input!

[gregmonsta]

Interesting thing is ... my book by Jon Coote puts kinks down to not having sufficient bottom heat

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

but in the wild heat doesn't come from the bottom, it comes from the top?!?! The only time I can see belly heat occuring in nature is if a snake basks on a rock that takes on significant heat. But they don't all bask on rocks all the time, and even when they do, it's usually early morning before the rocks are smokin' hot!

[TwistidMutations]

I keep my rooms at around 86 during the day and 73 at night with a helix. Last year i had a basking spot of 90 and didn't have anything go wrong i guess its the luck of the draw on that deal.