Breeding

[abcat1993]

How many were you keeping in one cage? What time of year was it? I don't know the seasons in whales though.

[ssssnakeluvr]

They were in the same cage for abotu 2 months before getting cooled for a week while moving to a new place....they stayed in a cool place for a week til I got moved. Nothing happened during the time together before the cool down.

[CrazyHedgehog]

Mine, during winter, about 3 in a tank, didn't know about hibernation then though..

[greyhawk]

Well, a similar idea would be to find a gravid female. Just look for a big fat garter in maybe june or july and theres a chance it might pop some babies out in idk, august, september, somewhere around there. I don't know much about breeding and brumation in captivity, but I do know I've seen garters mating in the fall, usually after a cool rainy period. So I think they can breed whenever they are up to it, but its probably a safer bet to try and cool them down first.

[jasuncle1972]

Can garters produce several clutches from one breeding? Should I hibernate my garter, I figure shes 3 plus years old, any tips?

[abcat1993]

I think it might be too late to start hibernating. Everybody else started in October. But then again I've never bred anything before

[jasuncle1972]

not for breeding , to winterover to spring

[Cazador]

Like Don says, just make sure they haven't eaten for about 2 weeks. Keep them at normal temperature without feeding them for at least 10 days, then start dropping the temperature and photoperiod. I prefer to drop the temperature in fairly small increments (~5F per day), and decrease the photoperiod by about 2-4 hours per week. That's just my style. I think it helps them to acclimate to "fall" conditions, but there are other ways that work just as well. I've know "professionals" who simply stop feeding them and pull the plug on the lights one day.

Another thing I like to do is weigh the snakes before putting them into brumation. It helps you keep track of which ones are doing well, and which are losing weight, but this is fairly rare. Of course, they have to be mite-free and healthy before putting them into brumation.

If you want to put them down for 2-3 months, you'll need cooler temps for 2-3 months. Here in Alaska, I could put them down as late as Feb and still have 40-50 degree temperatures for three months, so start them whenever you're ready. Your offspring (if you choose to breed) will just be smaller next fall because they will have been born later. Best of luck,
Rick

[abcat1993]

So I could breed my wild caught garter? And could I just put the snake outside in the garage just before it gets cold?

[Cazador]

Hey Matt,

I don't want to recommend doing anyone else's method because I don't have personal experience with it. Here's something I can guarantee you, though. Snakes are very vulnerable to sudden temperature changes when they're already brumating. If you think the temp of your garage might drop by ~8-10F when the door is opened, I think you're asking for trouble. You want to find somewhere that's resistant to sudden, dramatic temperature changes. You'll also want to cover their hibernaculum, in order to provide total darkness. Then, if you find a mate, you could breed your snake in the spring. As I recall, you have a female, so you'd want to keep her down until you've already found or bought a mate. You want to have the male present before you bring her out of brumation. Hope this helps,
Rick