Winter/Brumation Preparations

[RedSidedSPR]

True brumating scares me. Last year I just turned off his heat and threw a blanket over him... That worked. Obvious didnt work like a true brumation, but it got him through his need to brumate.

[PINJOHN]

just thought i'd give a brumation report from this side of the pond, so far no sign of any slowdown in eating habits, we are having a bit of a heatwave at the moment so i don't know how much that is affecting things, the one exception i have is the albino checkered who gave me a dozen babies about a month ago, she is not eating at leased while i'm around and if she is eating while i'm not around, then it's not very much,
i picked up three new viv's at the last show and it is my intention to give her her own viv [she's in with Kenzo and a large checkered female] i shall cover three of the glass sides so as to reduce the light levels, i'm hoping that solitary and reduced light will do the trick.
she came from a pet shop where she was kept in a small container, but i do not want to return her to that method of keeping, if it turns out that she prefers the pet shop method then i will sell her or give her away as i get no satisfaction having snakes kept in that method.
eta
ery

[PINJOHN]

ADDENDUM TO ABOVE the albino is busy right now making a liar of me, she is chomping away on salmon fillets, she can see the computer screen from her viv, perhaps she saw my threat to sell her on

[johnnic]

Adults especially the Eastern garters have slacked off in feeding except for the Texas Eastern Black Necks. The babies are still feeding very well. Don't know how some of these really small Easterns get through 4-5 months of winter their first year.

[Kantar]

Does anyone brumate/hibernate newborns? I usually kept my newborns awake over the first winter

newborns - 2 unnamed <--- active during winter
yearlings - sunny, pepper, blizzard <--- active during winter
2 years old - frosty, serpent, slider, spot <--- wanting to brumate

Last year when my 2 year olds were yearlings I also kept them awake since they fed and done so well over the winter. But this year they slowed down on food so I'm wanting to brumate or something to keep them healthy, they need a long nap. Anyone know a good easy way to do a brumation? temperatures? (I read differently everywhere else) Around here our winters get to -40C and worse so the wild snakes here go down deep into the ground to stay warm and remain there for more than a half year. Anything else I would need to know? Keeping the temperatures lower is going to be hard since I live on a top floor and gets brutally hot sometimes even though I block my vents.

[guidofatherof5]

Never have. I've only brumated adults.

[Kantar]

what are some good temperatures to aim for?

[guidofatherof5]

I try to keep mine at 45° to 50°

[Kantar]

damn! that is going to be hard to achieve

[RedSidedSPR]

Yes. Are you breeding?