It’s been several months since you began the long process of cooling your reptiles. You started the cooling process the right way (in steps and controlling temps and light cycles). It has been several weeks (perhaps a couple months) of little activity and now is the time to start bringing them out of their cool down and begin the breeding season. How do you do this to maximize the health of your reptiles and ensure a successful breeding season? There are a number of steps you can take.
Step-By-Step Just as you went through multiple steps in the ‘cool down’ process you need to do the same in the ‘warm up’ process. In our facility, I go through the same number of steps but in reverse- adjusting temps and light cycle in 3 separate waves. Each wave lasts almost a week.
Feeding As the animals warm up, they will begin eating more again. It is really hard to say how much during each wave but you will need to monitor and manage this. Be more diligent in taking out uneaten food items. If they are quickly devoured, add more.
Supplementation Feeding normally does not replenish the reptile’s complete needs for supplements- vitamins and minerals. Our feeding schedule through warm up relies heavily on additional supplementation to prepare the animals for breeding (especially calcium for females). Dust your insects!
Inspection As the animals become more active, they need to be checked for any health issues. This is so important before breeding season. If an animal has a shed issue, thin tail, or calcium deficiency, now is the time to catch it and implement a remedy.
Planning If you have not done so yet, now is the time to plan for the year’s breeding. What males will go with which females? Do you have space, and a market for the babies? Do you have a source for the food items you will be feeding all the babies? Are incubators turned on and calibrated correctly?
The process of ‘Warming Up’ your reptiles after a brumation can have a great impact on your animal’s health and on their breeding. By following the above advice, you can minimize any issues with warming up your reptiles.
