Cooling over winter.

[Nicole]

Greetings All.

I have read and heard sooo many diffefent opinions on this one it makes my head spin! I'd like to know what our more experienced keepers think before I form an opinion of my own.

1. To cool, or not to cool?
I am talking specifically about a yearling coastal and a yearling diamond.
(I have decided I won't cool the first year around at least with my Hatchling Olive and hatchling Maccie ).
The diamond was cooled last year, the Coastal was not.
I only want to cool if this is best for the snake, breeding obviously at this age, breeding is not an issue. Particularly curious about the diamond, I have heard that DPS can be linked to not cooling.

2. The how tos of cooling?
I have read and heard all sorts of things about when to offer last feed, when to incrementally bring the heat down, how long to give them warmth for each day, but again with differing opinions. What do you guys think?
Also, will they drink or move at all during this cooling?
Do I assume I don't get to play with anyone whilst they are cold?
How do you check on them during this period and make sure they are ok?

Just want to be ready ahead of time and can't wait to hear your responses all...

Cheers,
Nic

[Magpie]

Only thing I have to offer is to say that they may well drink through the cooling period. Fresh water should always be on offer.

[jmbrimer]

My opinion, which has worked well for me, is that Room temperature in Sydney is fine for most species of python if you want to cool them in winter. I've known a few breeders who put their large snakes in a big click/clack or polystyrene tub for winter in the garage and leave them alone all season with no light or heat.

[africancichlidau]

This is just my newbie opinion but what I would do is cool the diamond, just in case of a link to DPS, and not cool the coastal keeping the heat and feed going to get a steady growth rate, I am not going to cool my yearling Bredli but am going to cool my Coastals because I hope to breed next season, (well not me but the snakes).

[CHEWY]

This will be my first year of cooling. My two BHPs are just over 12 months old and I will start cooling them when I get home from my trip. Hopefully in the next year or two I have a couple for sale.
As this is my first time, any other hints you can offer would be great. I'm in Sydney and I'm just going to turn the heater off and stop feeding them.

This is just my opinion and yous may question it but I feel its a pretty good theory. Considering winter cooling actually promotes viable sperm in males,would yous not agree that the earlier in life you cool the younger they may breed or more viable there sperm may be? This is just a theory of mine and there is no harm in trying it.
I do not cool them for their first 12 months but every year after that I do.
With diamonds I suggest you DEFFINATELY DO cool after 12 months of age and every year there after as I have heard that males that wernt cooled as juveniles had become sterile at an older age (This may be true if they were not cooled untill 3-4yrs)
Also DPS can be linked to not cooling your diamonds as suggested.

As for cooling with majority of species I just gradually reduce temps to 18-20 degree night time temp over about a week period. But with diamonds I would house them in foam shipping boxes in a garage for 2 months or so. Temps are approx 10-16* (Id try and stay between them temps roughly 12-13*)

Also I dont feed at this time and give them a constant supply of fresh water

PS I have never kept diamonds as of yet but intend to soon.I have read during winter temps range between 0-16* but I would be too scared to totally hibernate my snakes so I suggested roughly 13* (dunno if that will work or not I am yet to find out).

Also sorry for modifying my post here but wanted to make it clear I am just using my opinion only that may or may not be correct.

[Hawkeye]

Not 100% sure with pythons but in mammals sperm is constantly being produced regularly (unlike eggs which are produced in utero and then no more are produced). I think the cooling effect is to do more with their behaviour than the actual viability of the sperm.

Cheers Hawkeye

As mentioned previously,carpet pythons require a cooling period as part of their annual breeding cycle,this is necessary for the production of viable sperm in males

Writing from the book...Keeping carpet pythons by
Simon Kortlang & Darren Green.
page 28

[africancichlidau]

Yeah, sorry Hawks but I think you are wrong on this one, with the exception, I think, of Maccies.

[Hawkeye]

Hey it works in mammals

Cheers Hawkeye

[pythonss]

hi everyone..

nicole a few basic things to think about with cooling...done wrong it will lead to problems with repertory infections etc..
firstly lets say a animal thats found in the north..while night temps in these type of areas may drop to 10 or below..the days temps are back up to mid to high 20s by the middle of the day. so with animals like this dont get entirly shut down
with diamonds how ever there cooling is far more improtant. and they need to be reduced to lower temps and longer periods at that temprature.
how ever on the age part we never wintre yearlings or for that matter 2 year olds of any species. we havent found this to have any differing effects on breeding at a later age. but with diamonds we didnt breed at three years old so they still had 2 years of cooling before breeding.
with species like jungles they dont get wintred at all..but the do have what we call a quite time..which is no feeding no added heat and little or no stimulation of any kind..
just some thoughts..
cheers paul.

Paul
I know there is no ill effects if you wait 3-4 years before cooling with carpets (I do just out of personal choice and a theory I have)
But do you know if this is so with diamonds?Just that I have heard the males may become sterile if not cooled as yearlings.

[pythonss]

hi john
we have never cooled young diamonds untill 3 years old..

and have breed with the males later in life..but then our diamonds were 2 generation trpical born babys..weather this could have made any differance i really dont know..
cheers paul.

[Slateman]

Paul can you advice me about temperature over winter for my olive pythons? Should i cool them?

[Pinkie]

Does anyone know about cooling lizards? Should I cool my beardies? They are 4 months old.