Should you hibernate corns their first year, and how to if you don't have a basement or have them in their own room?
I wouldn't to be honest... Or at least, I wouldn't try to brumate them. But like any other reptile that brumates (Bearded Dragons, for example), if they want a snooze, there's not much you can do to stop them. Even with artificial heat & lighting sources, and air conditioning in the house, air pressure & seasonal changes in the atmosphere can override all this and make those instincts kick in. I live in Florida, so my corns pretty much get as close to local temperatures & conditions as I can give them in captivity, simulating how they'd experience it in the wild. Obviously, I don't ramp it up to over 100 degrees in the cage on hot bright sunny days, as wild corns are usually hiding in much much cooler areas during those times, so I will try to simulate the conditions the corn would want to be under in the wild in those instances.
If you're not going to be breeding them, I would say that cooling them isn't too important to be honest. Cooling them is really to more accurately simultane the seasons and allow them to prepare for breeding. If you don't plan to breed, you can enjoy your snakes year round (unless they decide they want to go to sleep anyway, hehe).
I have a rat snake that ive had for 2 yrs now, have never "made" it hibernate. however it is less active in the winter, but still eats and sheds. as axe said they do sense the season change in the atmosphere.
bascically put them under a brumation period if you are going to breed them. If not you dont have to brumate but it is more naturalistic
Not the first year- it's an unnecessary risk. In fact, brumation is only necessary for breeding. You wouldn't be saving any mice because you have to feed them twice as much for two months before cooling. Yeah
