Mimic the weather?

[mtolypetsupply]

I remember reading a post a while back about our garters being sensitive to things like barometric pressure change when a weather front was moving through. In the wild, they'd get rained on, etc. I was thinking, does it affect them in anyway that they experience all the atmospheric changes, but never get the rain?

What are your thoughts on this? So long as one is willing to do the maintenance so that they don't get rot from being too wet, do you think it would be beneficial to try to give them some "rain" when it's raining? Dim the lights some when it's cloudy and grey? We already mimic some weather conditions for brumation, would it be beneficial to take it those steps further?

I know that many people keep garters just fine without doing this. I am by no means thinking I'd be a bad mommy if I don't, nor am I implying anyone else is a bad Scale-Parent for not. Just one of those things that flashed through my twisted little mind.

And I'm Twisted because, oh, yeah, great Stephi, add one more thing to my giant "To Do" list- add number

359. Emulate natural weather conditions in the garter enclosure daily.

I know I probably anthropomorphize animals WAY too much. That being said, I know I go CRAZY after too many days in a row of the same weather. Too much sun, too much rain, too much wind, anything without variety drives me nuts. So I wonder if it affects our snakes, too.

[infernalis]

Steph, Its actually great that you ask this.

Oddly I have one master light switch on the wall of the reptile room, in the morning just out of habit I switch it on, this turns on a cluster of low wattage lamps (Ceiling fan lights) this provides a soft glow (sunrise) then I make my coffee.

After a cup and a few posts on the forum, I go in and turn on the outlet strips (afternoon sun) and begin my day.

in the left hand corner of the room is my Anoles and my Asian green snake, They are tropical and require misting, so I have a spray bottle to do that with, I sometimes squirt the garter tanks with it (rain)

At night I turn off the outlet strips first, then about half an hour later flip off the switch to the ceiling fan lights.

I also turn the master room heat down a few clicks at night.

So in a nutshell, it emulates the natural cycles of the day.

As far as beneficial to the snakes, I cannot give you an intelligent answer, it's just how I go about it.

They seem healthy enough

[Stefan-A]

I remember reading a post a while back about our garters being sensitive to things like barometric pressure change when a weather front was moving through. In the wild, they'd get rained on, etc. I was thinking, does it affect them in anyway that they experience all the atmospheric changes, but never get the rain?

What are your thoughts on this? So long as one is willing to do the maintenance so that they don't get rot from being too wet, do you think it would be beneficial to try to give them some "rain" when it's raining? Dim the lights some when it's cloudy and grey? We already mimic some weather conditions for brumation, would it be beneficial to take it those steps further?

I rarely say this (I think), but test it and see if it makes a difference. I've only tried it for short periods and it didn't make any difference at all. Just make sure you don't exaggerate and that the snake has some place that's guaranteed to stay absolutely dry. Too much water or humidity is going to cause a lot of problems, from mold to scale rot etc., so it's good to keep that in mind.

[anji1971]

It's an interesting idea, and would make a fascinating experiment, but personally, I hope it doesn't make a difference.
I tend to anthropomorphise with the snakes as well, and the idea of keeping their tanks dim and dull on a grey cloudy day would drive me crazy. I need a bright home to be happy. I find that I think the same way about the snakes. There are no cloudy days in my vivariums.

[infernalis]

Anj, Rain means abundant food to garter snakes.

So wouldn't cloudy days make them happy

[anji1971]

Anj, Rain means abundant food to garter snakes.

So wouldn't cloudy days make them happy

You're probably right, Wayne. It's just hard to separate my dislike of the cloudy weather from the fact that the snakes might not care. I just can't help but feel they need their homes to be nice and bright and cheerful, too.
I know that's ridiculous, but I can't help it.

[guidofatherof5]

I think comfort is universal. Even if the mental understanding isn't there. If they don't know it, it's at least less stress on you.*Disclaimer* This is of course my opinion and not verified with any data or analysis.

[Steven@HumboldtHerps]

Too much water or humidity is going to cause a lot of problems, from mold to scale rot etc., so it's good to keep that in mind.

And respiratory problems! I always have a cool dry and warm dry spot, but the water dish is large. I do occasionally mist my garters and corns, but only enough so that it will evaporate by the end of the day, and usually only when they are undergoing ecdysis.

I wish I could make the time to create a sunrise or sunset effect (or a whole day's cycle). I have heard of track lights that are timed in an arc across the top of the enclosure. I, so far, have all my lights on timers and adjust them every 2 months to match the season. Except for my sand boa and some of my neonates, heat pads and cords get shut off during winter.

Steve

[Lori P]

Stephi, I wish I had the time or ability to make everything more real for them, too. The best I can do at this point is dim their lights on & off to hopefully make them think the sun is rising & setting, lol, and occasionally mist them for a rain day. But I only mist them like once every 2 weeks or so. I think they pick up on dull, rainy days even inside as they feel the barometric pressure... but that's just my guess.

[infernalis]

Stephi, I wish I had the time or ability to make everything more real for them, too. The best I can do at this point is dim their lights on & off to hopefully make them think the sun is rising & setting, lol, and occasionally mist them for a rain day. But I only mist them like once every 2 weeks or so. I think they pick up on dull, rainy days even inside as they feel the barometric pressure... but that's just my guess.

Not a bad guess