Western Hognose Breeding Basics (2): An Introduction to Brumation

By: Gray Matter Reptile

In the wild, Western Hognose snakes are native to the Great Plains of North America, where they endure freezing winters. For breeders, brumation (winter cooling) simulates these natural seasonal shifts. When temperatures bounce back, it sparks their breeding drive and stimulates egg development in females.

The brumation process is generally broken down into three main stages:

1. The Fasting Period

You must stop all feeding 2 to 3 weeks before introducing your snakes to lower temperatures. Because snakes are ectotherms (cold-blooded), they require ambient heat to digest their food. Once they enter a cold brumation state, their digestive tract pretty much shuts down. If any undigested food is left in their stomach, the proteins will rot inside their gut, releasing dangerous toxins that lead to severe gut rot or even death.

2. The Cooling Period

In their native habitat, hognose snakes look for underground burrows or tunnels left behind by small mammals, or they will use their specialized snouts to dig deep and completely bury themselves in the loose soil, tree roots, or decomposing organic matter to shield themselves from months of freezing cold.

In a captive breeding setup, we use a wine cooler as our dedicated brumation equipment. Once the fasting period is complete, we place our hognoses into appropriately sized brumation tubs filled with a thick layer of substrate (we prefer coco coir). This allows the snakes to burrow deep to feel secure. From there, we gradually lower the wine cooler's temperature day by day.

3. The Cold Period

Maintain a stable, cold environment for about 2 to 3 months, with 12–15°C (54–59°F) being the absolute sweet spot. If temperatures consistently hover above 18°C (64°F), the snakes will maintain a higher metabolic rate and stay active, causing them to burn too much body weight or get dehydrated. On the flip side, we recommend keeping the temperature above 10°C (50°F) to avoid putting too much stress on any weaker individuals.

Once brumation is over, move the snakes back to standard room temperature first. About a week later, turn on their heat pads and offer smaller prey items like pinkies or peach fuzzies to keep from shocking their digestive system. Once you are sure their gut function is fully back to normal, you can gradually ramp them up to their regular feeding routine.

🐱 Can you breed them without brumating? Absolutely. Many breeders achieve fantastic results without ever cooling their snakes. However, we prefer breeding in a way that closely mirrors their natural instincts, as it helps us much better predict when our females are going to ovulate.

😹 A Quick Warning: If done incorrectly, the brumation process can easily harm your hognoses. Please carefully assess your own setup and experience level before deciding to try it.