why?

Why should you hibernate your snakes? Do you need to hibernate them at all? These questions have not been answered clearly yet.

Hibernation is a period of rest. In nature many thamnophis hibernate. Quite often climatic circumstances force them to but even in areas with mild winters thamnophis „rest“ for a while. Males do this in order to rebuild for the exhausting mating season and females to regain strength for upcoming pregnancies.

It can be said that hibernation has a positive impact on the snakes‘ health and mating readiness. This is of course also true for animals kept in captivity.

Which animals to hibernate?

Generally speaking no animal should be hibernated that is weak for any reason. These are all snakes that suffer from any illness, pregnant females and most young animals that are under one year old, unless they are already very strong.
Besides that you should not start hibernation if the snake is about to shed or expected to shed.

When to hibernate?

Quite often your snakes will show you when it is time for hibernation. Especially wild-caught snakes will start to move around in their cage more than usually, they will dig themselves under the substrate and refuse food. But even some snakes that were born in captivity show these signs.
If your snakes don’t behave any different towards the end of the year you can start hibernation in October/November. You can also start later in the year if the snakes still eat normally.
Some breeders beginn hibernation in the beginning of October so their neonates are already pretty strong when the big reptile fairs take place in the beginning of the year. This is not a problem for the animals but it doens’t correspond with their normal cycle.

Which kind of hibernation?

Due to the fact that there are different climatic areas in the thamnophis‘ area of circulation different hibernation methods have become widely accepted.
These are the cold and the warm hibernation.
Cold hibernation means temperatures between 8°C-10°C (~ 46°F-50°F) , warm hibernation about 15°C (~ 59°F). It is not necessary to create the exact hibernation-conditions the snakes would have faced in their area of origin. Experience tells, that it is most important to choose one of the two hibernation methods and to consequently carry it out from the beginning to the end.

If you can’t comply with the requirements you should better give up on the idea of hibernating your snakes. In case of doubt it is best for the animal to be kept under normal conditions.

Where?

If you go for a warm hibernation you can let your snakes in their cages. Room temperature should be somewhat lower than usual: about 15°C (~ 59°F). If you can’t ensure that this temperature is held constantly in the room you keep the cages in you might think measuring temperatures in the attic or in the basement – maybe either of those places is suited for hibernation.
If you decide for the cold hibernation you will probably need to put your snakes in a so-called hibernation box. Find a place that has the right temperatures. This might again be the attic or basement, but it is best to use a regular fridge or even better a wine fridge.

What do I need?

You don’t need much for a warm hibernation if you have your cages in a room that offers the correct temperatures. If not, you might have to buy a hibernation box so you don’t have to move the terrarium around.

If you go for the cold hibernation you will need to buy hibernation boxes and maybe even an extra fridge or wine fridge that will then be used only for the snakes. Before you use the fridge for hibernation it is mandatory that you measure a possible temperature span with a min./max. thermometer. If the span is more than some few degrees you should not hibernate your snakes in that fridge. You will also need a hygrometer to measure humidity in the fridge.

How to hibernate?

Preparation is the same for both hibernation methods. Stop feeding your animals about two and a half weeks before the start of the actual hibernation. The intestine needs to be completely empty when hibernation starts, otherwise the excrements might start to rot and cause the snake’s death. To assist the defecation you might put the snakes in a warm bath.
About a week later you can start to slowly reduce temperatures to the wanted level (cold hibernation: 8°C-10°C (~ 46°F-50°F) , warm hibernation: about 15°C (~ 59°F) ) and to cut down lighting hours to zero. You might want to cover the cages with towels to avoid incidence of light from the outside.

The animals will in these boxes for a longer period of time.

If you choose warm hibernation it should be ended after five to seven weeks, becaue the animals still use quite a bit of energy during this kind of hibernation. If the hibernation period is too long the snakes might starve to death. Make sure the animals have fresh water availabe all the time. Humidity can stay at the normal rate. And of course no feeding during hibernation.

If you choose cold hibernation a period of six to twelve weeks is reasonable.
Humidity needs to be between 70-75%. The hibernation box doesn’t have to be very big because the snakes will only move very little. They don’t use a lot of energy.
Equippe the box with a hiding place and a water bowl. For flooring use paper towels. I used to put chopped beech wood, but that began to molder one time, probably because of the high humidity so I don’t do that anymore.

During hibernation the snakes‘ health should be checked regularly. You don’t need to take them out of their box, just look at them through the lid or the sides of the box. If the snake shows any signs of an illness hibernation should be ended immediately.

After hibernation lighting and temperatures should slowly be adjusted to their normal level. This should take about a week. After one more week you can start feeding again. It can happen that some of the snakes refuse food at first. In this case just try and feed again after a couple of days.

And because hibernation is called a trigger for mating readiness you will be able to observe mating activities shortly after hibernation.