# Is brumating 100% necessary?



## zoe11032 (Aug 19, 2021)

Hi all, is it true that you absolutely _need_ to brumate to get fertile eggs? My male and female locked twice this week, right after she shed. For context i’m in Virginia, where they are native. I haven’t brumated them in any form. Just kept them at normal temps, feedings, etc. My male suddenly went off food after the first lock and I got 2 locks now. He still isn’t eating and is doing the nose rubbing at the front of his tank. So, the question is, will not brumating effect anything? Should I go for a 3rd lock? Best regards. Zoe


----------



## Thrasops (Apr 15, 2008)

Short answer - no it is not strictly essential, you can breed most species without brumating them.
Breeding them is often _easier _after brumation, fertility is often _higher _after brumation and the snakes may get benefits to their long term health via brumation. But that does not mean it is always strictly necessary - and in a species like Corn snakes which may not even brumate throughout their whole range, breeding can certainly be achieved without brumation. Then again if you are experiencing issues with fertility, brumation _may _help.
The more northerly a species is, though, the more likely it is that brumation will positively affect their fertility and breeding drive.


----------



## LiasisUK (Sep 30, 2019)

As above, short answer no (especially in the case of Corn Snakes). Long answer; very species dependent, many Colubrids especially those that exist in Northern Ranges of Europe, Asia, Americas do need brumation to breed properly, though they do not need it to survive.


----------



## loxocemus (Sep 2, 2006)

i bought a pair of bullsnakes once, they where too young to have been cooled, as soon as i took them out of the bag and placed them in a cage to get a look, (they were something like a slim 3ft small for bulls) and the male immediately begin chasing the female, just constantly pestering her, so i split them up, just the cooling of being couriered could have been enough to trigger a teenage bull's hormones. this is a big drawback of keeping sexed pairs together, just because you don't cycle doesn't mean u wont get reproduction, especially in colubrids, though some boids just feel the seasons change anyway, and for some that tiny (to us) indicator will spur reproduction.

only keep sexed pairs together if you want reproduction at some point and/or are prepared for an unexpected clutch or litter.

rgds
ed


----------

