# Western Hognose Brumation Nightmare



## WildWesternHogs (Feb 3, 2015)

Well......

First breeding season for myself and 2 of my Western Hogs and after a month in my poxy equipment in the garage has packed up (Fridge,Stat and Tubular Heater, fridge was ofc off).

So I have had to bring them in and start warming them again only after 4 weeks. 

Now I know you can breed these without brumation but what is the likely hood. Is it worth getting new equipment and starting the process again or just pairing them together in a month or so time and see if I get lucky?

Very annoyed man right here as it was a nightmare to begin with just getting the temps right in the first place.

Think next year I will invest in a Beer/Wine cooler that I can turn on or use heat cable and get a stat that drops to at least 10 degrees.

Also what is the absolute min temp I can allow it to drop, most places said 10c to 15c no less than 10 but I saw one person say his drops to as low as 7c.

Thanks


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## robpilley (May 5, 2006)

Mine are almost constantly around the 5 degree c mark, I put them unheated every year in my cold garage with no issues. The lowest they have been is 4 degrees with no issues


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## Conners (Dec 7, 2006)

WildWesternHogs said:


> Well......
> 
> First breeding season for myself and 2 of my Western Hogs and after a month in my poxy equipment in the garage has packed up (Fridge,Stat and Tubular Heater, fridge was ofc off).
> 
> ...


I have previously bred from a year-old male that hadn't been brumated, so it is possible, although I recall a low fertilisation rate in that clutch. 

Nowadays all my hogs (and other colubrids from temperate climes) spend two to three months in the garage with no temperature control. I have a max/min thermostat in each RUB and check the overnight low each morning. Lowest I had this season was 3.8 degrees, which is about as low as I'm comfortable with. 

To be honest, the highs are more of a problem than the lows. Some cryophilic species, like my _Elaphe dione_, remain active at 6 degrees.


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