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[MrVic]

What's brumation?


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Cold blooded version of hibernation

 

[Daemon]

Hey there, sounds like the experienced neighbour may be a hero in his own lunch time. Try doing the same thing to a big dog. Fairly similar results. They get frightened by the sudden presence in their face. Also if she is due to feed and he has a white hand, that may be another consideration.

A friend and I go out getting animals off the Mt Nebo Rd and photographing them in the wild. Never been bitten, picking them up by hand, off the road. Don't put the hands near the face is probably the answer.

 

[DiVinyl]

Cold blooded version of hibernation

MrVic ..... if my python lives in a temperature controlled environment, how does she know when it's time for brumation?

 

[DiVinyl]

In theory, and without knowing the snake or your handling skills, but recognising that you do have a fear of being bitten, i would like to add if I may, the difference between your friend being bitten and you not been bitten.
Sounds to me that every time you open the door to the enclosure the snake gets fed... this conditions the snake into a feeding response as soon as it feels the vibrations associated with the door opening. put a fist in there without being able to read the signs and you are just as likely to be bitten as your friend was.
Also sounds like when you handled it, you opened the door and let it come out on its on accord, which is different to when its fed. So it may not have associated this moment with a feed response because it was "different".
But there is no garantees, if you aren't experienced with snakes then you may not understand why you get bitten, and it may seem random, but use a hook to get them out, and when their out, pick up from behind while they are stretched out and moving.
In the meantime try to empathise with the animal, try to understand how it see's its environment, snakes are very different to us, their eyesight is very different, their sense of smell and temperature is very strong, they see the world in a very very different way to us. Understanding that, is the key to being a great keeper.

Thanks for your reply. Since my original post Clementine & I have sorted a few things out & I'm pleased to report we're getting to know one another with no blood shed. The routine is that when I feed her I don't take her out of her house, I introduce the rat to her inside her home. So she knows that anything dangled in her face while inside her box is food. When I want her to come out for a change of scenery, I open the glass doors & let her come out herself which she usually does, after which I pick her up & put her around my neck. That way, she only encounters me close-up outside her enclosure so there's no chance of mistaking me for anything chewy. She's proving to be a brilliant animal to care for, now that my confidence has increased & I am handling her more often. I can't say she enjoys being handled ...... she always wants to move away from me when we're outside! Do you think any snakes actually enjoy human contact? Is it simply a matter of time & familiarity?

 

[Grogshla]

brumation is similar to hybernation in mammals.. but it's for reptiles. Usually reptiles will shut down their eating and move less over the colder months.

 

[DiVinyl]

brumation is similar to hybernation in mammals.. but it's for reptiles. Usually reptiles will shut down their eating and move less over the colder months.

Cheers Grogshla ..... but just wondering how she'll know the colder weather has arrived if the thermostat in her enclosure keeps her environment at a steady 25-35 deg C?


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[turtle]

She will just know. I wouldnt feed her till September. Save some money =)

 

[arevenant]

Cheers Grogshla ..... but just wondering how she'll know the colder weather has arrived if the thermostat in her enclosure keeps her environment at a steady 25-35 deg C?


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Snakes are able to sense changes in barometric pressure, not just thermal variations.

 

[DiVinyl]

Snakes are able to sense changes in barometric pressure, not just thermal variations.

Incredible creatures eh? Thanks for the info, much appreciated.


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[DiVinyl]

She will just know. I wouldnt feed her till September. Save some money =)

Cheers Turtle. Tried feeding her last night as it was 3 weeks since her last rat and she shed her skin the previous night. But nope, lots of sniffing & checking it out but no interest in eating. Keeping very quiet too, staying in her cave most of the time. Do they prefer not to be handled during brumation?


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[Bluetongue1]

Many, if not most reptiles, can detect natural daylight and day length. Some respond to the shorter days by stopping feeding, even when the same heating and temperatures ranges are maintained year round. This is common in Antaresia species but can also occur with carpet pythons. If this is the case, it may well not eat again until spring i.e. Sept/Oct. This is no cause for concern if your snake is healthy and in reasonable condition.

Once upon a time we used to say that reptiles went into hibernation for the winter period in cool to temperate climates i.e lowered body temperature, lowered metabolism and inactive. However, some academics argued that hibernation of mammals, such as bears, is different to hibernation of reptiles. So they invented the term ?brumation? to refer to the type of hibernation that reptiles undergo. Other academics argue that there is a range of short to long term torpid states that animals go into to survive difficult periods and that separate names for different variations in the range are not warranted. So you may come across some authors who still use the term hibernation in reference to reptiles.

Blue

 

[GBWhite]

The word "brumation" first came about (invented if you like) around 1965 in an article on Hibernation in Horned Lizards (genus Phrynosoma) by W W Mayhew. Horned Lizards are found in North America and look a bit like a cross between a Bearded Dragon and a Thorny Devil. They have a defensive technique that enables them to squirt a stream of blood from the corner of their eyes.

The article suggests the method of hibernation in ectothermic vertebrates differs from that of mammals and birds and proposes the use of the word brumation to describe hibernation in relation to ectothermic vertebrates.

I've included a link to an article that provides a logical conclusion why both the terms hibernation and brumation should be acceptable when discussing the way reptiles "shut down" during winter.

http://theobligatescientist.blogspot.com.au/2010/11/do-reptiles-hibernate-or-brumate.html

George.

 

[eipper]

A guide to Australian Pythons by Adam Elliott is little more current than both the complete carpet python and the keeping and breeding Australian Pythons. All are excellent books though!

 

[Beans]

Ok. Thanks heaps for the feedback ..... so your python sheds monthly? I've read so much stuff & it all differs slightly. I read that I should be offering her food that is about twice her diameter??

On another note .... I just took her outside in the sun on the grass. I hadn't mentioned this but I'd completely lost confidence in handling her since she bit my neighbour soon after I first brought her home. He said he was experienced & put his fist in front of her face & whammo! Anyway, I knew I had to try again (I handled her heaps at her previous home with no probs) & today she was goofing around the glass so I opened up the doors & she came out. I cleaned out her box, then took a deep breath & picked her up & put her around my neck. Phew!! I read elsewhere on this forum that there are no aggressive snakes, just fearful owners. So I feel like I've crossed a major bridge!! She had a ball out there. Almost went in the pool!!


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A experienced snake owner knows you shouldn't just shove your fist infront of a snakes face, thats a great way to get bitten -_-

 

[skylineitaussie]

If there chlorine in your pool keep your snake out!!!!!!