Losses in Brumation.

[Zephyr]

Brumation is seeming more and more like a double-edged sword... Loren, what do you do if they go off feed?

[adamanteus]

Do it properly, with multiple groups per humidity level and multiple snakes per group. Document everything in detail and publish it as a scientific paper. I think it was a minimum of three individuals per group and a minimum of three groups per experiment. Anything less than that and you wouldn't get enough information for a reliable statistical analysis.

Yes indeed, three groups of five snakes per experiment (3 experiments, low, medium and high humidity) was what I had in mind. I'll use all young radix. I will almost certainly have in excess of 50 young radix next year.

[Stefan-A]

Time for me to pull something out of my arse......
Isn't the risk of any type of infection greatly reduced at very low temperatures?

I've got nothing.

On one hand, microbes would be far less active at low temperatures, but on the other hand, there's the issue of whether or not the temperature has a significant effect on snake's ability to fight them.

[adamanteus]

I've got nothing.

On one hand, microbes would be far less active at low temperatures, but on the other hand, there's the issue of whether or not the temperature has a significant effect on snake's ability to fight them.

As I say, straight out of my arse! That's a subject for another experiment!

[Loren]

Brumation is seeming more and more like a double-edged sword... Loren, what do you do if they go off feed?

(Knocking on wood) my garters all eat year round. So my answer is - I dont know.
My general rule is that only animals that will breed, and animals that go off feed, get brumated. So I suppose I might brumate them. Although some of my animals get kept warm year round even if they go off feed. Depends on how well they hold body condition.
I am actually in the process of checking on my brumators as we speak.

[Zephyr]

(Knocking on wood) my garters all eat year round. So my answer is - I dont know.
My general rule is that only animals that will breed, and animals that go off feed, get brumated. So I suppose I might brumate them. Although some of my animals get kept warm year round even if they go off feed. Depends on how well they hold body condition.
I am actually in the process of checking on my brumators as we speak.

... Does outdoor sunlight get into your reptile room?

[Loren]

"... Does outdoor sunlight get into your reptile room?"

No. The windows are cover with insulating panels. the only light on during the day comes from the 4 heat lamps that are on my desert lizards. so it is a dim/medium light throughout the room. My room is kept 72-85 (preferably 75-85) night/day. Some garters have flexwatt as well. Some just have ambient temps. All 8 species/subspecies are still eating, as are my gulf coast ribbons. I feed according to body condition. The growing ones are eating every few days. The plump adults get a meal every 10-14 days maybe.

[Zephyr]

"... Does outdoor sunlight get into your reptile room?"

No. The windows are cover with insulating panels. the only light on during the day comes from the 4 heat lamps that are on my desert lizards. so it is a dim/medium light throughout the room. My room is kept 72-85 (preferably 75-85) night/day. Some garters have flexwatt as well. Some just have ambient temps. All 8 species/subspecies are still eating, as are my gulf coast ribbons. I feed according to body condition. The growing ones are eating every few days. The plump adults get a meal every 10-14 days maybe.

Hmm. Interesting. Makes me think that the main trigger for garter brumation is a change in the photo period.

[Loren]

Possibly/probably a good part of it- along with temps of coarse. Something I might be trying soon with a couple of my snakes is to give them direct flourescent lighting for several hours a day to see if it perks them out of their fasting.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

My snakes eat year round too... save for the occasional stubborn ball python.... the couple garters I kept up are all still eating great!!