Must I hibernate them for breeding?

[adamanteus]

i was just thinking(doesn't happen often) the stats for snakes dying during hibernation, is that not mostly from preditor attacks?

Interesting point, Lulu. I would suspect it is cold or starvation that kills most of them though.

[Lulu Bennett]

fair enough. i just thought i would check lol but still the stats wouldn't be as high in captive snakes tho unless we are horrid enough to turn all form of heating off and starve them for ages before hibernating them.

[adamanteus]

I agree. I think with captive snakes, hibernation is a much safer event....We ensure our snakes are well fed beforehand, the drop in temperature is gradual and never extreme. In short we create the ideal environment for a successful hibernation.

Of course, in the wild a snake might fail to fatten up enough during the year. The temperature may suddenly plummet, or reach extremes beyond the snake's endurance.

[enigma200316]

I don't know much, but it would seem to me the only reason any animal
would hibernate is because...its there way of getting through the cold months when food is rare and hard to find...then the instict is to mate when they come out of that horrible ordeal to preserve the population
so to speak.....other than that I don't think it really does anything for them, maybe some rejuvination,but maybe not because they basicly shut down everything, haven't ate in months, got the whole matting thing to worry about, I don't know thats just my opinion!!!!!!!

[adamanteus]

Doubtless it's a survival tactic, but it has developed into a part of their life cycle. Certainly snakes that have been hibernated live longer in captivity than those which are not hibernated. I don't think this is down to any form of rejuvenation, just non-hibernated snakes "burn-out" more quickly. I guess they are only allocated a certain amount of "active" time.

[KITKAT]

For some herp species, brumation (not hibernation) is part of an annual biological rhythm that is sensitive to the seasons. Even when such an animal is not induced into brumation in captivity, some biological/physiological changes are observed while the animal lives indoors in constant conditions. Day night rhythms are also found in indoor animals kept in constant environments, and are called "Circadian Rhythm". These rhythms are demonstrated to change hormone levels, fat to body ratio, changes in organ weights, and other such phenomena.

I suspect a short and mild brumation in captive animals is beneficial to those species. And yes, they develop this seasonal sensitivity and the ability to brumate in order to survive winter... but once that evolution is complete, and they have the ability and this rhythm built in, then it is what is natural for them, and not an ordeal.

Just my $.02