Winter is approaching, and the days and nights are getting colder. As they prepare for winter, reptiles become less active and stop feeding. Their main reason for staying on the surface is to complete their final shed and digest their last meal. Once this is complete, their only purpose is to find a suitable place to hibernate. At the Viper Centre, this is provided by artificial burrows.
All snakes involved in the programme are individually registered, and data on their growth is continuously collected. They are weighed in spring and autumn, when their body length and weight are recorded and their sex determined based on tail length. This data enables us to accurately track their development throughout the year.
This year, we weighed a total of 1,440 snakes in 198 outdoor and 130 indoor terrariums over a period of about two weeks.
We pay special attention to snakes born this year, as their growth in outdoor terrariums is clearly visible compared to their body sizes at birth. Successful hibernation is only guaranteed if the optimal body size is reached, so if a young animal does not develop properly in outdoor conditions, we place it in an indoor terrarium and support its growth with appropriate nutrition.
The oldest specimens at the centre are two females born in 2009. They have reached a body length of over 50 cm by the age of 16, are in excellent health and weigh between 60 and 75 grams.
The largest specimen is a six-year-old female measuring 56 cm in length and weighing 99 grams.
