Quote:
Originally Posted by Cazador
It shouldn't, Rhea. There are some interesting studies out of Manitoba showing that the reproductive season of their red-sided garters can actually be extended following cold weather fluctuations. The cold weather sort of acts to re-synchronize male and female reproductive behavior.
After males and unmated females lost interest in the lab, they were exposed to a mini-brumation (4C for 36 hours). Upon their second "emergence" the males and females began courting again.
Also remember that the Manitoba red-sided garters have evolved to tolerate (and in fact become stimulated by) to these temperature fluctuations.
Rick
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I didn't mean to leave the quote so long, but I'm not sure what to cut.
My concern is that some species actually need a minimum of four weeks of solid cold weather to get ready to reproduce and I don't know that we have had even one at a stretch. So I think that even with the mini-brumation the idea is to re-synch them after the basic pre-requisites are met.
I cannot imagine that they ever get temps in the 60s for extended periods in February in Manitoba. It's just a bit high.
Here, we've only had two serious frost periods this season and neither lasted a week.