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Cazador · 11-18-2006, 11:15 PM

Garterking,
If yours have just slowed their eating down, you have the choice of whether you want to brumate them or not. My personal preference is not to brumate the young-of-the-year because I enjoy having them around, and I like them to continue growing throughout the winter.

They would be reacting to the changing seasons if there have been sudden changes in the barometric pressure, if you have them in a room that gets natural light, and/or if their temp has dropped. If you don't want to brumate them, you can increase their photoperiod to about 16 hours of light & 8 hours of dark. Then keep the temperature up in the 80s until they either snap out of it or refuse to eat for another two weeks. If they've gone a month without food, you should throw in the towel. Remember to give them 10 days to 2 weeks after their last meal before putting them down, though.

The red-sides garters in your own backyard (Narcisse Snake Dens) have been studied very thoroughly. They often go for 8 months without food at low temperature. They grow and reproduce just fine, so don't worry too much unless you start to notice a weight drop (wrinkly appearance, empty appearance when breathing, backbone/ribs noticeable).

11-18-2006, 11:15 PM	#3 (permalink)
Cazador Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Alaska, USA Posts: 1,609 Country:	Re: hibernating snakes Garterking, If yours have just slowed their eating down, you have the choice of whether you want to brumate them or not. My personal preference is not to brumate the young-of-the-year because I enjoy having them around, and I like them to continue growing throughout the winter. They would be reacting to the changing seasons if there have been sudden changes in the barometric pressure, if you have them in a room that gets natural light, and/or if their temp has dropped. If you don't want to brumate them, you can increase their photoperiod to about 16 hours of light & 8 hours of dark. Then keep the temperature up in the 80s until they either snap out of it or refuse to eat for another two weeks. If they've gone a month without food, you should throw in the towel. Remember to give them 10 days to 2 weeks after their last meal before putting them down, though. The red-sides garters in your own backyard (Narcisse Snake Dens) have been studied very thoroughly. They often go for 8 months without food at low temperature. They grow and reproduce just fine, so don't worry too much unless you start to notice a weight drop (wrinkly appearance, empty appearance when breathing, backbone/ribs noticeable).