How does it work with hibernation?
As I write this article, it is the end of September. So there is still a little time left until our dear animals go into hibernation. Accordingly, this time there is only text from me and no pictures, as I must confess to my shame that I have never taken any pictures of my animals hibernating. But if you wish, here is a short article from me on this subject:
The question of hibernation and its implementation somehow comes up every year anew and is certainly just as interesting for newcomers to keeping Thamnophis as it is for experienced keepers, as I have found that there are also differences and experiences as to how best to handle this now.
Starting with:
Substrate
The size of the boxes and what kind of boxes?
Water bowls, sponges, hiding places
Individually or in groups?
Duration and temperature
How do I initiate hibernation?
How do I wake the animals again?
Refrigerator or cellar?
Everyone who has kept animals for a long time has their own way of keeping them. Basically, it will be similar for everyone and yet the approaches differ. You can read mine here.
But, how does this work with hibernation?
As a rule, I wait for the animals to stop eating on their own, but at the beginning of November at the latest I have fecal samples examined.
If the animals are healthy, nothing stands in the way of hibernation and feeding is stopped completely. I shorten the lighting times over 2 weeks and lower the temperatures in the terrariums until the heat and light are completely switched off. The animals also need this time to empty their bowels completely. This is important, as it can otherwise lead to putrefaction or a proliferation of cold-loving bacteria in the snake’s gut.
I also prepare my hibernation boxes. The Ikea boxes have proved their worth for me. They are stable and with the additional clamps they are really closed. I have several of these in different sizes at home. I also use them in spring and summer to feed my young animals. I carefully drill air holes in the narrow sides of these boxes with a thin drill. For hibernation, I fill the boxes generously with soil and place a water bowl and a hiding place inside. The soil should not be too moist, otherwise there is a risk of mold.
Once the terrariums are all empty, I put the animals in the prepared boxes and put them in my storage room on the balcony. It’s about 10 degrees there at this time of year. The animals stay there for 2 to 3 days so that they can continue to cool down slowly.
Only then do the animals and their boxes go into my fridge, which is about 6 degrees cold, and stay there for about 8 weeks. The temperatures can fluctuate a little, but I have found that 5-8 degrees is best for me. However, this should not be above 10 degrees for any species, as otherwise the snakes are calmer, but do not go into real hibernation and that would be more stressful than relaxing for the animal. During this time, I check about once a week whether the animals are doing well and whether they still have water, because they don’t really sleep. They rest. But they also move around and drink. Above all, many like to lie down directly in the water bowl and stay there for days. It is also enough if you really only check them once a week, because the animals should be resting, every time you do this you are disturbing them.
After this time, they will be “woken up” again in reverse order. There is also the option of not taking so much time to wake them up, this also works very well, I have tried both. What you should avoid, however, is putting them directly from the fridge into the fully heated terrarium.
When should I hibernate my animals?
Opinions differ on this question too. As a rule, I don’t hibernate until the 2nd year, unless the animals stop eating on their own.
But there are also enough long-established keepers who hibernate their animals directly in the first year. The fact that I only start in the second year is due to my over-cautiousness.
And what is a short hibernation?
A short hibernation is basically the same, only the time in the fridge is shorter. With a short hibernation, the animals stay in the fridge for about 4 weeks.
And what is a warm hibernation?
A warm hibernation is hibernation at warmer temperatures where the refrigerator is not used. However, as mentioned above, the temperature should not rise above 10 degrees.
Why should I hibernate at all? Is it necessary?
Yes and no. There are keepers who do not hibernate their animals. But for the animal it is a kind of “reset”, a rest period. And if you go into breeding, the willingness to mate is higher after hibernation, as is the chance that the females will become pregnant. It is also simply the natural behavior of the animals and I see only advantages.
Is hibernation dangerous?
Not really. Especially as you take a fecal sample beforehand and check the health of the animals. Of course, there can still be losses during hibernation. As already described above, non-excreted droppings can become a problem. But even if, for example, something was not detected in the fecal sample.
For a healthy, fit animal, however, hibernation is more regenerative than harmful.
Addition – hibernation for non-feeding young animals
An approach that I have not yet tried myself, but which I have heard about the successes of from a few keeper friends, is to send young animals that absolutely do not want to eat into a short hibernation period. This is the last approach to try. In some cases, the animals do start eating after waking up. However, there is also a risk of losing the young snakes during hibernation. In my opinion, this is the last “hop or top” approach. Either the animal will survive or it would have died sooner or later anyway, because you can’t live forever without food.
Jennifer Rejchel
Reschop 14
45525 Hattingen