My experiences with DPS

[GrumpyTheSnake]

awesome information!!

Hey Mods.... definitely need to put this as a sticky!!

[IMSNAKEY]

thats useful info. can anything be done after they get DPS can it be cured or what?

[richardsc]

are u saying it hasnt affected your males,and that your avairy set ups are to warm,its a shame they are susceptable to it,such a beautiful python,i never knew coastals suffered from it,i assumed intergrades would though,thanks for your info serp

[prealongus]

An interesting topic and some useful information there. What seems strange to me is that those pythons were aviary kept in the diamonds natural lociality and still developed DPS. It makes me wonder whether this condition exists in the wild. If it doesn't what made these pythons DPS victims. I would of thought that diamonds kept outdoors in their natural locality would behave (thermally) much like their wild counterparts. Thanks for sharing, by the way dont read this as me having a go at ya.

[GARTHNFAY]

Like ST said...you will find them in the warm months in cool rainforests poss under leaf litter where they can keep nice and cool. Almost impossible to replicate in any captive situation.

I know our diamonds out in the aviary, on the coldest, wettest day in the middle of winter they are out up on the basking platform. They just seem to love it!

[dickyknee]

Originally Posted by serpenttongue

No, my young diamonds are in tubs with a heat mat under half the tub. I turn the heat mat off when i get home from work around 4pm.

Mine are in a small cage for now ,only with a heat mat , it goes off at around 6pm ......as it gets warmer i will turn it off a bit earlier , hot spot gets to around 29 , cool end does not go over 24 and drops well below over night .....
it does have a light but only a day light cycle not uv .

Thanks again mate.

[Aslan]

ST - Thankyou for a fantastic thread - I have found time and time again that the information that I find to be more helpful and reliable is from those that care strongly about their animals and pay particular attention without ever having a 'scientific basis' for their findings - merely their ongoing personal observations...

...with the symptoms of brittle bones etc in mind do you think that DPS could have some sort of link to a calcium deficiency or inability to absorb it...?

[dickyknee]

Originally Posted by Aslan

ST - Thankyou for a fantastic thread - I have found time and time again that the information that I find to be more helpful and reliable is from those that care strongly about their animals and pay particular attention without ever having a 'scientific basis' for their findings - merely their observations...

...with the symptoms of brittle bones etc in mind do you think that DPS could have some sort of link to a calcium deficiency or inability to absorb it...?

You have a very good point there Alsan ,I would take advice from ST and a few others i know are serious diamond keepers over any scientific info .....you cant beat hands on experience for good reliable info ..

[Pythoninfinite]

Great thread, and important because of the long history ST has with diamonds. Definitely something worth more scientific work... As far as Ponybug's snake is concerned, it may well be related to ToD spraying, central nervous systen damage resulting from exposure to natural and synthetic pyrethrins has been documented in snakes. Great caution should be exercised whenever they are used.

Jamie.

[mysnakesau]

Originally Posted by serpenttongue

.......
* No amount of UV light will save diamonds from DPS, nor will it reverse the symptoms, however cold nights will slow down DPS considerably.

* DPS affects diamonds from the age of 6 years and onwards. A diamond that lives past 6 years of age without showing signs of DPS has not been saved from getting DPS.

* Provide heat until 12-1pm and then nothing until the following morning. For indoor enclosures, instead of having a warm end and a cold end, provide an enclosure that is cool overall, with one small hotspot which stays around 28-29'c. Diamonds really need to be able to escape the heat. They usually bask until 10.30am and then retreat to a cool area where they will coil tightly to conserve body heat. Anyone who has walked into a rainforest knows how cool they are under the canopy. Diamonds live under a rainforest canopy and can bury under damp leaflitter, retreat into huge hollows and rock crevices to escape the summer heat.
-ST

Where you said UV won't reverse the symptoms, are you saying that there is no cure for them at all?

We have a diamond python at the wildlife park who is deformed in the back half of her body. Do you reckon this could be possibly from DPS?

This is a great thread. I am on a 2 year wait list for a pair of Gosford Diamonds. So I want to learn everything now. I am copying a lot of this information into WORD to keep as reference, so I hope you are right

[mysnakesau]

Originally Posted by serpenttongue

No, unfortunately they are all very stubborn and no matter what i do they still favour their high hides, so i have to insulate them. I do have some insulated hide boxes on the ground that are always in the shade, but these are only used by the snakes on very hot days.

Sorry I am taking up more space...

When you say its unfortunate that they favour their high hides, surely they would know what's best for them. Or do you really need to protect them from themselves?

The comment about the calcium deficiency - I didn't quite understand....is it suggested that DPS causes calcium deficiency ir calcium deficiency can lead to DPS?

I noticed our local wildlife park dusts their food with calcium powder just prior to offering it to their pythons.

[cris]

The thing is they live in foresty areas not in avairies, while an avairy is better than a small box its still no match for unrestricted movement.

The snakes would favour the high hides because they would feel safer there, to them they would rather be warm for a bit than put themselves in a far more vunerable place.

Is it possible a common virus or something may also play a role?

[serpenttongue]

Originally Posted by richardsc

are u saying it hasnt affected your males,and that your avairy set ups are to warm,its a shame they are susceptable to it,such a beautiful python,i never knew coastals suffered from it,i assumed intergrades would though,thanks for your info serp

No, it definately has affected males and i've lost males to DPS.

I'd like to think that my aviaires are suitable enough. I've never felt that they get too warm but one problem with my aviaries is that they have colorbond sheeted roofs. This tends to hold heat in, whereas a roof made of chicken wire will allow heat to escape.

But still, you'd think that any reptile would have evolved to handle the temperature extremes typical of the area they live in. Who knows....

[serpenttongue]

Originally Posted by mysnakesau

Where you said UV won't reverse the symptoms, are you saying that there is no cure for them at all?

Yes, UV light hasn't helped any of my snakes (remember mine bask in full sunlight daily). As far as i'm aware nothing will cure a diamond with DPS, and i dont see how you could cure a snake with internal organ problems, brittle bones and flabby muscles. Prevention is better than cure.

Originally Posted by mysnakesau

We have a diamond python at the wildlife park who is deformed in the back half of her body. Do you reckon this could be possibly from DPS?

Probably not. It would be showing the other symptoms of DPS. It was probably injured at some point.

[serpenttongue]

Originally Posted by mysnakesau

When you say its unfortunate that they favour their high hides, surely they would know what's best for them. Or do you really need to protect them from themselves?

The comment about the calcium deficiency - I didn't quite understand....is it suggested that DPS causes calcium deficiency ir calcium deficiency can lead to DPS?

Yeah, you'd think they know whats best for them and in the wild i'd say they do. I can only speak for my diamonds, but yes....they do need saving from themselves.

I'd say it would calcium deficiency leading to DPS.