Brumation for breeding strategies.

[gregmonsta]

Am starting the two week fast for the 4 snakes I'll be brumating - ie the prospective couples of J + Suzy (radix) and Fawn + Slithers (parietalis).
Running the poll to get a general idea.

Out of all of these J is the only snake that was brumated last year.

Looking for the best strategy

[Stefan-A]

I don't think you're going to get different results with different strategies in this situation.

[gregmonsta]

True, I thought it interesting just to see what the preferences were. Any reasons for picking a particular method peeps?

[Chondro788]

I always keep my snakes seperate excpet for breeding. I will leave the male in with the female for approximately 24 hrs and then remove him for rest and feeding. Just seems to keep the males "in the mood" and from getting exhausted from trying to breed too much. This wil be my first year breeding garters, but this is how I always have done colubrids, and boids.
Thats my 2 cents.

[ConcinusMan]

I have observed greater enthusiasm and acceptance on the part of both sexes if the snakes aren't too familiar with each other. They can brumate together and not really be familiar with each other until they can be active in the spring. But if they were kept together all summer the year before, separate them in the fall and reintroduce in the spring after brumating, has been best in my experience.