personal opinions

[dee4]

I'm NOT breeding my diamond this year but am interested in any info regarding hibernation.
Is it healthier for them?
Is it necessary to do this if I'm not breeding?
Do they cool of at the same time as other pythons or is it a bit later?
Do you keep them in your house or are they kept under lock and key in your shed?

Any info and others opinions would be great :roll:

[serpenttongue]

dee4, all my diamonds are kept outside all year round. I stop feeding them in late April/early May and start feeding again in Oct/Nov. Diamonds dont hibernate in the true sense of the word. Where i live the winter temps can drop to 9 degrees but all my diamonds will continue to emerge every day to bask as long as the sun shines. I do believe it is healthier for them and have found that diamonds prefer being cool over winter. In fact if given a choice over a heated hiding box or a cold box during winter, all my diamonds choose the cold box. I have also kept diamonds indoors over winter and have found that they dont need their temps dropped as low as outdoors. If you drop the temps to 24 during the day and 15 at night they will get the hint that its winter. When kept indoors i bring them out of winter temps around September.
I do believe that you should still cool them down for winter even if you arent breeding as long as they're not juveniles. I do keep juveniles at summer temps over winter and continue to feed them until about 2-3 years old. I dont recommend this for adults as i think it could lead to Diamond Syndrome. My diamonds start mating in August and will continue through September and October. I have 8 diamonds. 2 males,6 females.Up until this year, they were all kept together in a large avairy 6m long, 2m high, 1.7m wide and bred readily.

[Greebo]

Yay! Someone answered and it was an intelligent answer spoken from experience and not a book.
I was starting to think nobody was going to answer this thread. There were nearly 40 views before someone answered. Maybe if Dee put GTP in the title he would of gotten more replies.

[dee4]

thanks, it will be very helpful. Have decided to keep inside as in my area near Shepparton in Vic it can get to around 0 deg. This way it will still be a controlled enviroment, I am looking forward to the adventure.

[Slateman]

I decided to keep mine outside on balcony in aviary. Spot have plenty of sunshine. Last year they had chance to choose heated hidingbox, and this year I am not heating at all. My area do not get extremely could nights.

[fishead]

Howdy Dee, there's plenty of wild diamonds around home here and we get some pretty good frosts through winter. Not sure exactly what temp it gets down to but pretty freggin' cold should cover it.
I have a trio of diamonds in an outdoor enclosure, just be sure to face the wired side to the north (or close to) to get the best of the winter sun. Plus give them plenty of acces to cover from the weather extremes.
Bye, Steve.