Will's snake thread

[Foxrun402]

To hibernate a snake, the temperature should be dropped to around 50 degrees for one to two months, but you should look up where your snake's natural habitat is, because it will depend on how cold it would get there, and for how long. In the snake's natural environment, the temperature change occurs fairly slowly. While you can get a quick freeze or warming, the temperature change overall is still fairly gradual. Because of this it is best to not change the temperature in the habitat too quickly. Otherwise you run the risk of shocking the snake. This is important to remember when heating the snake back up as well.

[ConcinusMan]

To hibernate a snake, the temperature should be dropped to around 50 degrees for one to two months, but you should look up where your snake's natural habitat is, because it will depend on how cold it would get there, and for how long. In the snake's natural environment, the temperature change occurs fairly slowly. While you can get a quick freeze or warming, the temperature change overall is still fairly gradual. Because of this it is best to not change the temperature in the habitat too quickly. Otherwise you run the risk of shocking the snake. This is important to remember when heating the snake back up as well.

Well I don't know about it dropping gradually, but nights getting longer and colder prompts them to stop eating and head back to their den area even while the daytime temps are still very warm. Then after that, the change in weather is usually sudden here and underground they go. It's not as important when bringing them out. Obviously you don't want to bring them out of the fridge and stick them directly in a 85 degree tank, but warming them over several hours is fine. You don't have to take days to do it. It really makes no difference.

Now let me clarify that. Remember one thing: Surface to volume ratio.

The smaller the snake, the better chance there is of "shocking" them. Babies warm up faster, and cool faster than large snakes. If you warm very small snakes up too fast you might have problems. I did that one year and several of the babies coming out of brumation went into convulsions and died. However, I'm not sure if maybe this was because they got too cold when brumating, causing neurological damage. They did get down to 40 degrees (F) a few times by accident.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

She has become dull in colour last few days so it could be her just going off feed early for a shed.The last few shed she only quite eating a week or two prior to shedding.I hope she'll hurry up and shed so she can get some food in her!

[Foxrun402]

I'm not sure if maybe this was because they got too cold when brumating, causing neurological damage.

I thought that about a snake I tried to save one morning and she was COLD... and having seizures... we had seen the SAME one a week prior to it being that cold around here... and it was fine but had a damaged tail because the neighbors got scared of it and trapped it to the grass with a shovel! /facepalm Just makes me feel more like them getting too cold can cause neurological issues... basically backed up the feelings I had about it at the time... ( sorry for thread jacking dont let them get too cold! )

[-MARWOLAETH-]

Haven't given an update in a long while because there isn't much to say about a snake that's in hiberntion.

Anyway I checked on Garry a few days ago and by the look of her ,you wouldn't have known she hasn't eaten for 6 months... apart from her being the size of a 6 rather than a 16 month old

She was moving around quite a bit and was flicking her tough every time I moved so I'm assuming she's somehow sensing it's spring and time to emerge and start hunting! (hopefully)

[chris-uk]

I thought you'd been quiet for a while.

Now she's awake and warming up I expect she will eat for England. Er, I mean Wales. My marcianus girls ates sporadically over the winter by are ravenous now, then know when the time is right (right temperature, days are longer).

[-MARWOLAETH-]

She'd better eat for the cowin European Union if she doesn't to stay a scrawny little runt.

[chris-uk]

16 months old is only a couple of months younger than my checkered girl. When you describe her as a runt, how heavy (time to borrow your mum's kitchen scales) is she? I'm over at our friends tonight, the ones that have Eskerina's sister, I'll take my scales over and weigh Lightning - the difference in size between the two siblings is startling, but a good illustration of how they will grow at the pace that suits them.

[chris-uk]

One sister is 77g, the other is 252g. Both healthy snakes other than our girl (the smaller one) having a few lumps on her spine. The big girl is around twice the length, more girthy and an overall bigger girl (she's in good shape, no scale spread).
Just shows that there's so much variation in rate of growth.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

I took her out of brumation a few days ago,she's gone into blue phase so wont be eating until she sheds her skin. She's doing well and is frequently basking,soaking and remarkably is still hyper and responsive despite not eating for a six months. These marcianus are tough little things!

Chris,
I tried weighing her on an analogue scales but it's ancient.It didn't even move when I put the snake on and would probably not be of use if it did as it only measures in oz and lbs (what ever they are...)

I'll buy a digital scale and let you know how much she weighs