Checkereds Brumation temp?

[HazAnga]

I'm just wondering what would be the ideal brumation temperature for checkered's, I know you guys all say between 50-55 but I've also heard that they can also go like 10 degrees less then average temp and shorter light cycle.
And how long should be a good length of time to brumate them? They will be going as soon as beginning of december because I'm going to be moving into my appartment by then and I'd rather not start them and have to move them during.

[Stefan-A]

Ideal would probably be the temperature they'd experience in the wild.

I have an article somewhere that stated that temperatures as low as 4 C (about 40F) can cause neurological damage in checkered garters.

[indigoman]

Holtzman et al.,1989 [7 weeks is the shortest period of brumation and it stimulated sucessful breeding. however they state in the wild some area populations may not brumate more than a few weeks.

[HazAnga]

So around 10 degrees C, is the ideal temp? And having a water bowl is needed, and only maybe 2 months of brumation is needed.
Do I have all this correct, or no?

[indigoman]

Only talking on my experience just a cooling down and just natural light with 5o f. the minimum.

[Stefan-A]

So around 10 degrees C, is the ideal temp? And having a water bowl is needed, and only maybe 2 months of brumation is needed.
Do I have all this correct, or no?

Without accidentally turning it into a science, I'd say 10-12 C would be okay for this species. Maybe someone who actually keeps this species could give his or her opinion.




Useless, barely relevant trivia: European adders in southern Finland don't retreat to their dens before the maximum day temperature of the ground drops to 10 C.

[HazAnga]

well so far without the weather getting too bad the cold room has only gotten to be 55.7 and a max of 57.2, but i had opened the room for a short bit while looking for something. So I'm hoping that in 3 weeks that it'll be colder so I can put them in there, they haven't been fed for a month or more (still active) but I'll only plan to brumate them for a couple months I think at most.

[guidofatherof5]

Sounds like a plan.
Buy a postage scale and keep a log on the weights.
If you see too big a weight loss or they appear to be losing too much weight you may have to pull them earlies than 2 months.

[HazAnga]

What can be classified as too much?

[zooplan]

At least when you´ll recongize weight loss by sight.