The lean season begins

[EL-Ziggy]

I fed all the snakes this past weekend. That was the last of their regular biweekly feedings for the year. With the cooler temps arriving all my snakes will go to a 4-6 week feeding schedule except my female bullsnake. She'll still get a meal every 2-3 weeks. A couple of them will voluntarily go off feed from Nov.-March. Does anybody else slow down their feedings during the winter months?

[Gocntry]

Does anybody else slow down their feedings during the winter months?

I guess this will be a learning experience for me, This is the first full winter with snakes, I started Beginning of the year with one,

Didn't get the others until spring weather had come.

Any tips on what I should do? Just see if they keep feeding on normal schedule? They are in a room where they get actual dawn to dusk daylight

So does that help set them on a schedule? Ambient temps will be at least 73* in the room.

and we're talking 4 BP's, 1 Corn, 1 BI boa.

[dakski]

I fed all the snakes this past weekend. That was the last of their regular biweekly feedings for the year. With the cooler temps arriving all my snakes will go to a 4-6 week feeding schedule except my female bullsnake. She'll still get a meal every 2-3 weeks. A couple of them will voluntarily go off feed from Nov.-March. Does anybody else slow down their feedings during the winter months?

I do not. However, I have a BP who regulates food herself in the winter, two growing boas, a growing Carpet Python, and corn snakes who I feed regularly all year.

If it works well for you, that's great. I've heard different things from different people and it depends on species, temps (lowering them, etc), breeding plans, and keeper preference.

[bcr229]

All of my adult retics have decided to go on Jenny Craig at the same time, dang it.

With the ball pythons I simply don't thaw out as many feeders as there are snakes due to get fed that day. For instance, if ten snakes are on the schedule I'll thaw six feeders, and even then one or two refused feeders will go to a boa or carpet python.

[Bogertophis]

Since I haven't bred snakes for years, that was the only reason that I brumated some of my snakes (for fertility, they need a cool-down for best results).

So no, I feed my snakes all winter, and only 2 of them get fussy & self-impose a diet: my rosy boa, & my Texas longnose snakes. I offer as long as they accept, then quit.

Otherwise, my corn & rat snakes & spotted python could care less that it's winter. My ambient house temperature is set to 70*, & they all have UTH & over-head tank
warmth as needed, & they're all good with that.

[EL-Ziggy]

Its definitely just a preference for me. All of my snakes are pets only. I won't breed any of them. I still give all the snakes a hot spot during the winter but I keep them a few degrees cooler and I feed them less often. I tried it for the first time last year and enjoyed watching them slow down during the colder months and then pick back up during the spring. I also liked saving a few bucks on my feeder bill. 🙂

[Bogertophis]

A little less cage cleaning never hurts either!

I suppose I do lengthen the time between meals a little as well...I really don't stick to a rigid schedule though...they all "let me know" when hungry.

[bcr229]

Since the ambient in the house drops a bit in winter my snakes are naturally cooler. I do put the boas on half-rations from Nov thru Feb, the colubrids and ball pythons will self-regulate, and I will extend feeding intervals for everything else unless they start looking at my fingers as food.

[Cheesenugget]

All of my snakes except the CP are showing signs of slowing down: sleeping a lot, less active, less interested in food, staying more on the cool side of the tank, etc. This includes my 2 kings and woma, but it is still early so they may still eat if offered, or I would add a week to their currently scheduled feeding. This behavior of wanting to eat and not eat usually comes after a shed, which they all had recently except for the CP. Even my bp has gone back to a fast after a few feedings. I don't change the temps in their enclosures and So.FL is still very hot outside. It is such a peculiar and interesting behavior to watch.

[ladywhipple02]

I'm sure there's been studies at some point, but I really do feel like snakes are far more sensitive to changes in air pressure, outside temps, and seasonal transitions that we are. I've always backed my snakes off during the winter months, usually to a four week time table (especially when I had all BPs). I usually start around November and keep them on through March or so, depending on the weather - or, as stated previously, they start looking at my fingers as food. When they start flying out of their tubs, it's time to go back to ten days lol

I'll have to see with the boa this year. She's still really young and consistently taking small rats every ten days without missing a beat. I may just spread her out the a solid two weeks, and back the BP off to every four weeks. He's already starting to slow down and refused his meal before last.