Is it really safe and recommended to stop feeding snakes during winter?

[Starter]

As my name says I am a real newbie in snake keeping - and I have never had an animal which could stay without food for a few months. So excuse me if I just can't believe it 100 %. If an animal (like any reptile or a bear or a hedgehog etc.) indeed falls into "winter sleep" (or hibernation or brumation), and they really don't come out of their cave and just sleep all the time, I can imagine that they could survive on their fat reserves. However, firstly my 6-8 year ols pythons don't look fat at all, and secondly they still move around at least for a while every day, although I have cooled them down. I turn their heaters on only to maintain a temperature in their enclosures between 15 and 20 °C, but they still sneak straight under their heat lamps when they turn on, and bask. When I take them out of their enclosures they become really active. Am I doing something wrong?

I have stopped feeding them two weeks ago and worry that they may be starving. The last I want is to cause them any harm or suffering. Please advise!

 

[stimigex]

Do your pythons a huge favour and turn the heat up before you do damage! The Brumation process is vastly different to the hibernation process! Reptile in Australia brumate which means they are not in a state of torper or complete sleep. They use daytime heat to come up from hiding and to rewarm their bodies before retreating back to their hide for another cool night. You would do your snakes a huge favour to keep their temps up this winter and to learn about the process correctly as what you have written above shows complete lack of understanding of what your trying to do and could end up killing your snakes!

 

[Stuart]

Many differing opinions on this mate and its my opinion that it differs by location too.

I don't stop feeding my animals over winter but I do extend times between feeding and only feed smaller than normal meals. I have other contacts in the NT that do this and have done so for many years.
Whether this may be the right or wrong way to go about it is open to debate but I haven't had any issues and neither have the others in the years they have been keeping.

In saying that, whilst it may work in the NT where we don't get extended cold periods, I'm not sure if this method would be as successful in Adelaide for example. I would be interested to see others thoughts.

 

[sharky]

Hey Starter,
cooling pythons does not require temperature drops 24 hours a day. I find dropping temperatures overnight (15-20degrees) and keeping a 32degree basking spot during day time works best! If you are worried about your pythons just slowly start bumping the size of the food item down or increase the period inbetween feeding

Say if your python is taking a large rat, try feeding a small or (sml) medium rat because as the temperature drops their digestive system slows, and they have trouble digesting large items and will regurgitate them.

They are also hardier than you think, you could not feed them for months and there would be a very small weight loss Snakes are oppurtunistic (spelling) feeders, meaning they only take prey when the oppurtunity arises. In a way they are kind of designed to go long periods without eating if need be

 

[scorps]

I stop feeding all my adult snakes at the end of April, they wont eat for several months now.

 

[Trimeresurus]

7-8 years old? You could not feed them for a year and they would most likely be fine, and as others have said, turn up your heat.

 

[Wally]

Always good if questions precede actions.

 

[Starter]

Thanks a lot for all your advice. I will increase the temperature and feed them occasional "snacks" if they seem to be looking out for prey (I breed and kill my own rats now), I guess that certainly can't do any harm. I realised that their digestion has slowed down. After the last meal (one medium sized rat each) it took them 6-7 days to make a poo. I record all these things.

 

[champagne]

Your basking spot should be 30 to 32 for a few hours a day but your ambient temps should not go below 20 ever unless you are cooling and not feeding as you snake won't digest it's food... When cooling for breeding you need to stop feeding both males and females, people need to do more research or have actual experience before giving out advice. Giving out wrong advice can kill an reptile, just because you can google something doesn't mean anything... You have to understand what you are reading.

Where did they say anything about breeding? Stop being keyboard warriors...

 

[markannab]

Well, there's one more new forum member whose been burned for seeking advice. The defense of those who like to post blunt or harsh comments is, "Well, would they rather I don't tell them the truth and their snake dies?". The answer is no. Most on this forum would rather they continue to share their valuable knowledge – but with kindness. The point is made just as effectively with kindness and a modest tone and, in fact, is then taken on board with greater eagerness. The end result being that the reptile in question receives the best of help, and the forum grows in popularity.

Sadly, in this thread, testosterone and/or immaturity wins again!

 

[scorps]

I cool all of my adults every year and dont feed them for months even if Im not breeding them...

Your basking spot should be 30 to 32 for a few hours a day but your ambient temps should go below 20 ever unless you are cooling and not feeding as you snake won't digest it's food... When cooling for breeding you need to stop feeding both males and females, people need to do more research or have actual experience before giving out advice. Giving out wrong advice can kill an reptile, just because you can google something doesn't mean anything... You have to understand what you are reading.

Where did they say anything about breeding? Stop being keyboard warriors...

 

[champagne]

I cool all of my adults every year and dont feed them for months even if Im not breeding them...

Yes but you are not new to keeping snakes and therefor have a better understanding of what can go wrong, what to look for ect. But if you aren't breeding there is no real need to cool

 

[scorps]

I cool regardless because in my opinion it keeps the animals in a more natural routine.

Just my opinion though

 

[Dendrobates]

I cool regardless because in my opinion it keeps the animals in a more natural routine.

Just my opinion though

It also doesn't burn the crap out of the snakes metabolism. I'm of the opinion that you can feed a snake as much as you like throughout the warmer months, as long as you give them those colder months off food so they can do what's natural and live off that condition that they've built up.
Some snakes naturally won't eat for half of the year anyway.

 

[pythonmum]

My Antaresia go off food for 5 months, even though their photoperiod and heat remain the same. This freaked me out at first, but 10 years later it is no big deal. My male breeders lose about 10% of their bodyweight during a winter of not eating. They are quite active, although cooled. Reptiles are really amazingly efficient.

 

[champagne]

Over feeding your snake in warmer months is a big newbie mistake.... Cooling over winter in my experience does not change anything.

 

[Dendrobates]

What would you classify as over-feeding a snake? In my experience letting snakes do what is natural for them is a lot better then heating them all year round and putting food into them 52 weeks of the year.

 

[DeanoCFE]

I've got myself a Diamond and she is 3 years old, I have done some research and I am not breeding her but I am cooling her as outlined above with 30-32 degree basking throughout the day, my question is if she is not feeding for another 3-4 months should I be getting her out as often for handling or should I let her rest as she does not need any added stress?

 

[pythonmum]

I've got myself a Diamond and she is 3 years old, I have done some research and I am not breeding her but I am cooling her as outlined above with 30-32 degree basking throughout the day, my question is if she is not feeding for another 3-4 months should I be getting her out as often for handling or should I let her rest as she does not need any added stress?

Handle her when you want to. If she's getting stressed, her behaviour will change and you should back off. It doesn't bother my snakes to be handled during the non-feeding time, but they all have their own personalities and temperaments.

 

[andynic07]

I've got myself a Diamond and she is 3 years old, I have done some research and I am not breeding her but I am cooling her as outlined above with 30-32 degree basking throughout the day, my question is if she is not feeding for another 3-4 months should I be getting her out as often for handling or should I let her rest as she does not need any added stress?

I have also recently been informed by another member with years of Diamond python experience that 30-32 is too hot for a Diamond and may induce Diamond python syndrome and they prefer 27-30.