Cornsnake hibernation??

Question

We are new corn snake owners and have had an extremely difficult time thus far. First our snake would not eat, we had finally gotten her to eat twice then she once again has refused to eat her last two meals. She is not moving around in her terranium at night like she was before. We are having an a diffcult time getting the cool side of the tank to the correct temperature it keeps dropping into the high 60's. Has she gone into a hibernation state? How do you keep the cool side warm but not too warm I know it's supposed to be 70-75 on the cool side but I can't seem to keep in that range. I have placed a blanket over her terranium which has helped bring up the temp. a couple degrees. What do we do, she needs to eat!

Answer 1

Do you have an under tank heater on one side of the tank? It should be plugged into a thermostat or dimmer switch so the temperture can be maintained at the bottom of the tank to a temp of about 85F. Add about 2 inches of aspen for substrate. The snake will burrow to the depth it needs to warm up. Use a digital probe thermometer, placed at tank bottom to accurately measure the temps. My corns usually stay well above the heat mat, and are usually found up high in one of their fake trees. If the house/tank temps are truly that cold, a 60w red plant light can be placed in a reflector dome to provide additional warmth over the warm side. You can cover part of the tank with plastic wrap or other type of plastic (I use a clear shower curtain liner) to hold in temps and humidity. Don't worry so much about the cool side--the tank should be large enough (at least a 10 gal for a baby, 20gal for adult) to allow the snake to self regulate his temps. See the corn snake forum for care sheets and more info on temps:

http://cornsnakes.com/forums/

Answer 2

Warm side should be around 85. If you don't have an under tank heater with a thermostat, this would be one of the leading reasons your snake is not eating. I'm not that concerned about the cool side as long as there is a regulated warm side. It is not healthy for a young snake to be brumated. They don't have enough fat resources to hold out for several months. Get the warm side temperatures up and you won't have to worry about the cool side. If you have a large terrarium that she's in, it might be too large for her and causing stress. Babies should be housed in something no larger than a 10 gl. and I usually keep them in rubbermaid tubs until they are over a year. It's possible she's approaching shed as well and many won't eat when they are in the shed cycle. Her lack of movement points to that as well. Snakes can go quite a long time without eating so I wouldn't panic. It doesn't sound like your cage is at optimum setup for your snake. Get the husbandry under control and the snake will probably do better. Provide a lot of hides for it. Warm and cool side, maybe some silk plants for it to hide in. I'm assuming you got this from a pet store or you would be consulting the breeder that you got it from.

Answer 3

Every corn snake I have or have had becomes relatively inactive at this time of the year. Their internal clock tells them that this is winter & they respond accordingly, no matter what the temp or light conditions are in their enclosure. These are creatures of instinctual behavior & once they become sexually mature (18 mo.- 2 yrs) they will usually stop feeding and become much less active during the winter months. They do require fresh water and a secure hiding spot & that's about it for now. Your snake will gradually become more active & when she does, start offering her normal food items, but don't be surprised if she refuses at first. Mine will be dormant for at least another 2-3 months & haven't fed for over a month. They do this every year with no harmful effects.

Answer 4

You can try a heating pad as well as a heat lamp with a 50 watt bulb. Any higher wattage may bring the temp up too high. Warmth is essential for digestion. Essential. Number three on the list of requirements next to air and food. Try live food if it gets to be too long between meals. You'll have to be careful, though. Your snake may grow accustomed to live food and refuse frozen. Surely if she gets hungry enough, she should eat if her heat requirements are correct. Good luck!

PS- That blanket was a clever idea! I never thought of that. Ours have plastic over part of the screen now to keep humidity up, but I never considered a blanket for heat. :)

Answer 5

Do you have a heat matt or heat lamp? If not, get one.

Keep her at a constant 80. A new juvie cornsnake that is having issues eating to begin with will not likely survive brumation.