Diamond Temps?

[blackghost]

Hey everyone

I'd like to call on the experienced with this quick question, especially those that own Diamonds around the Brisbane/Gold Coast area...

My 22 month old female is in an indoor enclosure with a temp of 28 degrees at the hot end and approx. 25 at the cool end, I'd ideally like to have the temp sitting at 26 degrees (hot end), but I have found that every time I feed her, she coils herself under the heat lamp looking for heat, even on days that are quite humid where the heat lamp won't kick in because the temps outside have gone over the 28 degree mark. I find that when this happens, the rat inside her takes twice as long to desolve because she is not receiving direct heat from the lamp. This is especially a worry, as Summer is just around the corner and this is my first summer when it comes to caring for a Diamond. So I am wondering how other keepers on here keep control of the temps for their Diamonds, feeding, and keeping them cool during the summer months?

Just a little worried, as she is beautiful and a treasured family member, so we only want the best for her.

Thanks in advance for anyone's advice...

blackghost

[serpenttongue]

I think 27-28'c would be best directly under the heat lamp. But dont be concerned, diamonds can digest prey at 25'c without a problem, so it really doesnt matter that the heat isn't coming on. The rat may take a bit longer to digest, but believe me, it is digesting nicely, and in fact it's probably better for the snake that heat isn't supplied on warm summer days. If the air temps are around 28'c then there's really no need for the heat globe to come on.

I would be more concerned with keeping the cool end at 25'c and under.

[ozianimals]

Hi

I keep my pair at 31c hot end and about 27-28 in the cool end and have never had any problems except my electricity bill over the winter. My carpets and maccis are kept slightly lower at the moment, hot end at 29c and cool end at about 26-27c. They are eating well and digest their feed in about a week (just under) and are ready and looking for another feed by the end of the second week.
This is just how my ones seem to be happy but still fairly new to this myself.......

[blackghost]

Thanks serpenttongue and ozianimals.

Are there any further tips for keeping them cool in the summer months? I've actually heard of some keepers wrapping up a frozen 2 litre coke bottle (full of water/ice of course) with a tea towel and placing this in there water bowl, so they can wrap themselves around the covered bottle when they get too hot.

Thanks...

blackghost

[serpenttongue]

I would have air conditioning in the room that the diamond is being kept.

[jay76]

I have a pair of diamonds and i have a hot spot in one corner caused by the light in the enclosure underneath and no heat in the enclosure

[MatE]

I keep my diamonds outside they come out in the morning for a hour or two and heat up and dont see them again all day as they go back in there hides.Diamonds still need a hotspot they get one in the wild so why not in a box. They get all the variations in temps through summer and winter.It doesnt get cold enough here on the coast and they will even eat through winter but i dont feed them to get them into a cycle.

cheers mat.

[mrsshep77]

We have ours inside with air con!!

BTW we are on the Sunshine Coast!
Cheers,
Mell

[mungus]

make sure you have a large water container in the cool end.
The deeper the better [ within reason ]
If its a bit warm, they will soak in it for hours.
Should not have any heat in summer or winter at nights.
Keep the enclosure in a cool spot in summer, even sit a few inches
of the ground [ concrete slab ], but only in the summer months.
I find all the above works.