Weight loss during cooling

[NCHERPS]

As many of you are aware, I am from the UK.
I am talking from personal experience and from experiences of others that I know of both in Europe and the USA in relation to Pythons only.
It is of my opinion that the majority of European and US breeders do it in the ways described below.

I was quite surprised when I came out to Australia to hear that so many people cool their snakes completely by just turning off their heat completely.
I have always cycled the heat down gradually down to the desired temps over a number of weeks and raised again by doing the same.
Throughout this time however, I have also kept the heat on for basking, but have just reduced the number of hours that the snake can bask for, down to maybe 6 -8 per day, during the day, and have also reduced daylight by drawing curtains(although the natural winter photoperiod is the most beneficial factor in my opinion).
I believe it is in fact the nightime temp drop that is the most important factor, and not the daytime, I know some people that have kept very high daytime temps and have continued to feed their snakes, but have just reduced the night time high heat drastically to induce viable sperm production and they have had great success.
I personally tend to reduce the DTH(Daytime high) over winter, but still give them the heat and turn the NTL(Night time low) temps right down, but again, the temps have gone down over a number of weeks.

What I think has to be said is from what I have learn't from people in Australia is, that quite clearly successful breeding has been achieved by both the methods I describe and by the 'All heat off' methods, which leads me to suspect that pythons are alot more adaptable than we think when it comes to stimulation to induce breeding.

I also think that with a few species that have been bred very infrequently in Europe and US that the lower temps and Brumation might well be needed, not only in the sucessful breeding but in the successful keeping of the species, the main species I am thinking about is the Diamond python, which is bred so much more regularly in captivity in Australia.

I am personally also of the belief that unless your snakes are going to be bred in the upcoming season, there is no benefit in cooling or Brumating them, as it doesn't in my experience inhibit them from breeding in a years time.

Neil

[hugsta]

I try and find the day/night temps through the winter and summer periods of the animals place of origin. If the temps are avg. 27night and 32 day in summer than thats what my animals get. if its 1-2 night and 10 -15 day in winter than thats what they get. If they survive and successfully mate and breed in each of their locations then surely they will do the same if you reproduce those conditions in CB reptiles.
At least this is what has worked for me.

[obee]

hugsta in the early days diamonds didn't do so well up here in the far nth,to warm.once they did begin to breed, the offspring[very limited success with initial stock]were obviously better aclimatised.animals bred here did better and bred better.when adults of third generation animals were sent back down south to there natural home range they didn't do so well,but then there eventual offspring did.so despite the fact that they were a cold carpet species this meant very little to the far nth bred diamonds they still didn't do so well.


obee

[hugsta]

Well obee, they say you learn something everyday, and I just did. Interesting bit of info. It just shows how fast new generations can adapt.

[obee]

i love diamonds and get offered them every year hugsta but because they seem to not do so well i have steered clear of them.to date i have never owned a diamond.the ones that were bred up here were shockers compared to what was in collections down south.


obee