Life with hognose snakes has its seasons—and around here, winter means one thing: hibernation time. Every year, as the colder months roll in, we get our adult snakes ready for their long winter nap. It’s not just a seasonal routine—it’s actually really important for their health, and it helps get their bodies ready for breeding once spring rolls around.
This year, three of our adults went down for hibernation: Bajsa, Albi, and—making his first appearance—Hoggy.
If you’ve been following us, you already know Bajsa and Albi well. But let us introduce Hoggy, our OG male. He’s a normal het albino morph and definitely the wise old man of the bunch. We hadn’t originally planned on hibernating him this season, but since we’re still deciding who’s going to be the lucky dad this year—Albi or Hoggy—we figured it was only fair to give both boys a chance to rest up and be ready.
In the reptile world, what we call hibernation is more accurately called brumation. It’s kind of like hibernation in mammals, but with a reptile twist. Since snakes are cold-blooded, their metabolism slows way down when temperatures drop. They become super sluggish, stop eating, and spend weeks or even months just hanging out in a cool, dark spot with very little movement. In the wild, this helps them conserve energy and survive the winter.
In captivity, we mimic that natural cycle—it’s part of maintaining a healthy, natural rhythm for their bodies and helps stimulate reproductive behavior in the spring.
Now, we don’t have a fancy reptile room or climate-controlled chambers—but what we do have is a wine fridge. Yep, you read that right. A wine fridge actually works great for brumating hognose snakes because it gives us reliable temperature control, from around 25°C down to 5°C (which is their ideal brumation range).
Each snake gets its own plastic box with air holes, soft wood chip bedding, and a small water dish. That’s it—just the basics. Right before going in, we always weigh them so we can keep an eye on their health and make sure they’re not losing too much weight while in their sleepy state.
On November 23rd, 2024, the trio was officially packed up for their nap. We started them off at the warm end of the range and gradually lowered the temperature. A towel over the glass helped block out light and gave them that cozy, burrow-like darkness they’d seek out in the wild.
Over the course of two weeks, we dropped the temp bit by bit—first down to 20°C, then 16°C, and finally settled at 13°C. Once they hit that sweet spot, they went into full brumation mode.
Watching snakes in this slowed-down state is always a little surreal. You’re so used to their little flicks, stretches, and sassy movements, and suddenly… they’re in slow-mo. We still check on them about once a month, refill water bowls, and do a quick visual inspection—but otherwise, we leave them totally undisturbed to rest.
Fast-forward a few cold months, and by mid-February, it was time to wake the trio. We started gently raising the temps—just a couple degrees at a time. By February 24th, we turned off the wine fridge completely and let the ambient room temperature do the rest.
After a day or two of adjusting, they were ready to come out. We weighed them again (all three held their weight like champs!) and moved them back into their cozy terrariums. The house just doesn’t feel the same without them, so having them back always brings a bit of life and movement again.
And of course, what’s the first thing they do after a long nap? Eat! Bajsa, being the food-loving queen she is, was already prowling before the mice had even finished thawing. She never misses a beat. Her quick strike and solid appetite are always a good sign that she’s ready to get back into her groove—especially with breeding season right around the corner.
Now that everyone’s awake and well-fed, we’re getting ready for the next phase: pairing! We’ve got plans in motion and fingers crossed for a successful breeding season. Will it be Albi or Hoggy who wins the title of dad this year? Time will tell.
Stay tuned for the next blog, where we share how the pairings went and what this season brought us. With snakes, you never know what surprises are coming—and we’re here for all of it!
And as always - stay happy, stay curious, and give your hoggie a gentle boop from me.
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