Brumation Dates

[Greg'sGarters]

What dates do you guys start and end your brumation? I put mine in on November 1st, and they are brumating at 45-53 degrees Fahrenheit (7-12 degrees celsius). I am brumating:

• 1 Male Eastern
• 1 Male Red-sided
• 2 Female Red-sideds
• 2 Oregon Red-spots (pair)
• 2 Female Western Ribbons

How long should these guys be brumating for? My current plan is to start warming them up on MLK Day (January 21st) at a degree a day until they are at 64 degrees (it is set to 50 degrees right now) (highest the hibernaculum will go), and then put them in their warm cages. Does this sound good?

[Greg'sGarters]

Also, should I put them in together right after brumation or wait until the female sheds?

[Greg'sGarters]

How long of a period should I warm them up over?

[ConcinusMan]

Also, should I put them in together right after brumation or wait until the female sheds?

Doesn't really matter. I never see any breeding activity until a week or three out, and it occurs when the female sheds. I just put the pairs together right out of brumation.

How long of a period should I warm them up over?

12-24 hours is plenty.

[Greg'sGarters]

Ok, I was going to warm them up VERY slowly over a period of 1 week, their hibernaculum is set at 49 degrees right now, with a maximum temperature of 64 degrees. starting on January 23rd, I was going to increase the temperatures 2 degrees a day until January 30th when they would be at 63-64 degrees. Does this sound ok?

[ConcinusMan]

It probably won't hurt anything to do that but it's certainly not necessary. I watch the ground temperature monitors closest to the dens here and you know, anything deeper than about a foot underground doesn't really fluctuate. Stays the same year 'round. There's just around a 2 degree gradual increase over days or weeks starting in spring but as soon as we get a sunny day in the spring around 70 F, the snakes come out. There is no gradual warming in the hibernaculum that amounts to more than a couple of degrees. They don't warm up slowly. They just come out and warm up right away as soon as the weather allows it. Heck, they even come out in the winter around here to catch some sun on mild days but when they're brumating, they're insulated enough that the temperature doesn't really change much. Stays steady within a couple of degrees year 'round and regardless of temperature outside.

[Greg'sGarters]

Oh, ok. Good to know!