Cooling Poll

[Mark]

Time for a poll! Feel free to discuss.

For species that require a significant cooling period before breeding do keepers think it’s important to cycle juveniles and sub-adults?

 

[Jennewt]

This was tough to answer, because there are (for me) two kinds of cooling. The cooling that my house provides without any effort. And the kind where I make an effort by moving the animals to a cold location and monitoring temperature closely. For those of us who live in a non-tropical climate, our animals always get cooler in winter, so it's hard to say if it "matters" or not.

 

[Mark]

I agree, but the question refers to species that require significant cooling. Some species will readily breed with the relatively insignificant seasonal cooling our houses have. I’m interested in the ones that need to be dropped to say 5 degrees C for a few months – montane species or ones from northern latitudes for example.

 

[lims]

I'm far from an expert but, my general knowledge and common sence tells me that practice makes perfect. I would say that an adult who has experienced cooling periods will be readier, maybe faster at breeding, as he knows the drill. And obviously breeding first will be an advantage as you will have the largest tadpoles which can eat other tadpoles.

 

[ajc]

I also think this is a tough (but potentially important) question. I suspect there is very little evidence to help us answer this, but lots of hunches, so here's mine.
My normal practice (as far as I am able) for sub-adults of species which require significant cooling is, like Jen, to cool them somewhat in winter so that they get a "rest" but do not become dormant, i.e. keep feeding and growing. The logic for this is that the slow down means that the animals will breed at a later age, which might possibly make them more productive ultimately, and prolong their potential lifespan.
OTOH, species which reqiure significant cooling keep feeding at temperatures down to just above freezing anyway...