DocZelop
New member
Hi everyone,
so, winter is coming, at least in this hemisphere... I'm getting ready to put all my amphibians to hibernation (L. alpestris, T. marms, and S. salamandra). Since I don't have a tool shed, or even a basement, they will all end up as usual packed up in moss-filled plastic boxes at the bottom of my fridge, along with vegetables
So, I thought it was a great opportunity to share our experiences with fridge hibernation...
As for me, I'm currently feeding the little guys double rations so they get plump before winter and then I won't give them any food for the two weeks before hibernation (so that their intestinal tract is more or less empty). Each species gets its own ventilated plastic box, filled with damp moss. Depending on the weather, I usually try to put these boxes on my window sill for 2-3 days so that the animals get used to temperatures around 10-12° C, and then it's off to the fridge where the temperature is set to 5-6° C.
After that, I do a weekly check on everyone, with the optional water spraying if the moss looks too dry. I know some people continue with scarce feeding during that time but I personnally don't, and I've never witnessed any weight loss...
Then after 2-3 months, I do the same procedure in reverse to get all the animals back to 'normal' temperatures. In my opinion, this is the tricky part as I've lost three salamandra juvies last year, probably due to thermal shock (but it's hard to tell, could be other reasons).
Also, I've been told in this forum that fire-belly toads could go to the fridge too, without any problem, so I'll try with my five FBT too. They haven't laid much eggs this year, so I want to see if wintering makes a difference.
Anyway, if you people have other techniques or tips for fridge wintering, I'd be glad to hear about them !
Best,
Phil
so, winter is coming, at least in this hemisphere... I'm getting ready to put all my amphibians to hibernation (L. alpestris, T. marms, and S. salamandra). Since I don't have a tool shed, or even a basement, they will all end up as usual packed up in moss-filled plastic boxes at the bottom of my fridge, along with vegetables
So, I thought it was a great opportunity to share our experiences with fridge hibernation...
As for me, I'm currently feeding the little guys double rations so they get plump before winter and then I won't give them any food for the two weeks before hibernation (so that their intestinal tract is more or less empty). Each species gets its own ventilated plastic box, filled with damp moss. Depending on the weather, I usually try to put these boxes on my window sill for 2-3 days so that the animals get used to temperatures around 10-12° C, and then it's off to the fridge where the temperature is set to 5-6° C.
After that, I do a weekly check on everyone, with the optional water spraying if the moss looks too dry. I know some people continue with scarce feeding during that time but I personnally don't, and I've never witnessed any weight loss...
Then after 2-3 months, I do the same procedure in reverse to get all the animals back to 'normal' temperatures. In my opinion, this is the tricky part as I've lost three salamandra juvies last year, probably due to thermal shock (but it's hard to tell, could be other reasons).
Also, I've been told in this forum that fire-belly toads could go to the fridge too, without any problem, so I'll try with my five FBT too. They haven't laid much eggs this year, so I want to see if wintering makes a difference.
Anyway, if you people have other techniques or tips for fridge wintering, I'd be glad to hear about them !
Best,
Phil