Hibernation/Brumation Questions

Asking for a friend here, about a year ago he purchased a 2 year old Male Coastal Carpet Python, strong eater, active, sheds great, no signs of any issues. However as of June 1st his snake has gone into almost like a sleep mode, sleeps in his hide all day, then comes out, moves the hide off the heat pad and lays on the heat pad, then sometime in the night must go back in the hide and pushes it back over the heat pad.
No changes to the environment, so can't be that. All his temps and humidity are good. Only thing I could think of is, it is now Winter in Australia, but how would this snake know lol.

I've never had a snake go into Brumation on me so can't really help him out, some online searching, I've found that some owners will drop all temps to room temperature and turn off all lights? As of right now he's left everything the same.

Any suggestions, opinions or advice on what to do if your snake is doing this? Should he be adjusting his settings or leave everything alone?
Also may be you can tell me how a snake would know how to go into Brumation?

Thanks

Lowering temps a few degrees to breed certain species of Python and Even Boas is very different from brumation which is done and observed with many colubrid species.

Is he breeding that snake? If not there is no reason to change anything he should keep providing the same temps year round.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CottonMouth

Asking for a friend here, about a year ago he purchased a 2 year old Male Coastal Carpet Python, strong eater, active, sheds great, no signs of any issues. However as of June 1st his snake has gone into almost like a sleep mode, sleeps in his hide all day, then comes out, moves the hide off the heat pad and lays on the heat pad, then sometime in the night must go back in the hide and pushes it back over the heat pad.
No changes to the environment, so can't be that. All his temps and humidity are good. Only thing I could think of is, it is now Winter in Australia, but how would this snake know lol.

I've never had a snake go into Brumation on me so can't really help him out, some online searching, I've found that some owners will drop all temps to room temperature and turn off all lights? As of right now he's left everything the same.

Any suggestions, opinions or advice on what to do if your snake is doing this? Should he be adjusting his settings or leave everything alone?
Also may be you can tell me how a snake would know how to go into Brumation?

Thanks

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This is confusing.

All that you've described sounds like normal day to day activity for a great many snake species. Just how active was the snake prior to this?

For example, my female coastal sleeps in her hide all day, and then comes out at night and perches. I call that normal.

As far as changes to the environment. Most snakes follow a seasonal schedule, no matter how subtle we may find certain changes; they can sense pressure changes, moisture/humidity changes and duration of daylight.

Season migrations of other animals, like their prey and as mentioned above cues to breed can cause increased or decreased activity.

I don't see anything abnormal in what you've described about that snake.

Actually if it was overly active prior to this, I'd look back at other factors. Overly active snakes are usually sending a message that something is off, they are ready to breed or are extremely hungry.

In terms of being active, the snake wasn't afraid to have his whole body stretched out perched during the day, or move from the hot side to the cold side and back. And at night, definitely an active snake just in terms of roaming the enclosure, checking corners to see if it could come out before eventually settling down.
(Not everyday type of thing or constantly moving like it was stressed out, but as a species I always found them to be more active than let's say a Ball Python)
But it went from moving to just sleeping day and night.

In terms of breeding, he has no plans on doing such. But Could his male snake actually be a female snake and she's in "breeding mode" would that descibe the slowing down?

Thanks

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CottonMouth

In terms of being active, the snake wasn't afraid to have his whole body stretched out perched during the day, or move from the hot side to the cold side and back. And at night, definitely an active snake just in terms of roaming the enclosure, checking corners to see if it could come out before eventually settling down.
(Not everyday type of thing or constantly moving like it was stressed out, but as a species I always found them to be more active than let's say a Ball Python)
But it went from moving to just sleeping day and night.

In terms of breeding, he has no plans on doing such. But Could his male snake actually be a female snake and she's in "breeding mode" would that descibe the slowing down?

Thanks

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If it is 2 years old it may be settling into maturity. Carpets when younger, and most snakes, are a bit more active as juveniles. Eating to grow, and growing to survive. After a certain point the prey gets larger, the digestion time takes longer and the snake will become a bit less active.

I have a female coastal. She hides most of the day and is more active at night. It really depends on the time of day, the day, or the week. She does what she does. Males, especially male coastals, will combat and behave differently, your female should not being acting up.

Conserving energy is the name of the reptile game. Ambush predators are designed to be still for very long periods.

The snake you are describing sounds absolutely fine. My coastal has gone on 1 month intervals for feeding. She just wasn't hungry and then after about 4 weeks, she'd start getting the itch for food. Today she was active and I fed her. My guess is she'll be perched or hidden for quite a while now.

As long as you or your friend see good sheds, good elimination after feeding and don't see anything blatantly wrong with the snake I'm going to guess it is a snake being a snake.