small diamond python

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Thanks guys, if I only run the basking spot for 4-6 hours per day the ambient temp would probably sit at around 20 degrees outside of those hours. Would that be a ok? At the moment it's on from 7am - 7pm and turning on and off depending on whether the ambient temp of 25 is reached.
[doublepost=1605300339,1605300238][/doublepost]And yes he's cold spot is always under 25
 
Try not to be too concerned with the ambient temps, as long as the heat is on for a few hours a day, 4-6 hours, and he is able to digest his food, you will be right.
Personally I have similar timers to you 6am-6pm in summer and adjust the length of time with the seasons, down to just 4hours in winter.

This is where I was getting confused and stressed out.
I worried about the temps being too hot or too cold in this spot and that always trying to match the perfect gradient and temps, I don't think its possible and to be honest, It doesn't matter as much as we think.

With Diamonds having the cool refuge is much more important, give him this and he will take care of the rest himself.

Personally, I think you are doing ok.

How has he settled in? Are you discovering his personality?
 
Okay cool thanks for that. he's loving his new enclosure and definitely loves his climbing, I rarely see him on the ground. He's been quite snappy and has been a bit difficult getting him out of the enclosure at times but I've tried to handle him every second day or so. He's fine once his out of the enclosure and seems comfortable. I've just noticed his eyes fog over today so should be seeing him shed for the first time soon! I misted him with some water earlier to bump up the humidity a bit.
 
Don't be too concerned with the snappy-ness, he should grow out of that, mine did, if you are worried about getting tagged, use a hook to pass him to your hand then slowly work his way out.


You shouldn't need to mist him or add any humidity to the enclosure for him to shed, he should shed fine on his own, if he is having trouble with shedding then you have a different issue you will need to solve.

The only time I ever see my diamond on the ground is immediately after he eats, he will curl up in the open for a while, or if he is getting a drink, other than that, he is always up.

I'm glad you are enjoying spending time with him, diamonds are such beautiful snakes and have great personalities.
 
hi
my diamond shed not long ago and I noticed that his eyes went from being foggy to black a day or two before shedding.

I've seen my pythons sheds vary from a day or two after blue eyes, up to around 2 weeks, and other times I've completely missed the eyes and woken up to find fresh shed, I don't know if the time frame between blue eyes and shed means anything but I've heard of lots of mixed times amongst keepers.
All I know is I'm always so excited to see the fresh vibrant skin underneath.
 
I've seen my pythons sheds vary from a day or two after blue eyes, up to around 2 weeks, and other times I've completely missed the eyes and woken up to find fresh shed, I don't know if the time frame between blue eyes and shed means anything but I've heard of lots of mixed times amongst keepers.
All I know is I'm always so excited to see the fresh vibrant skin underneath.

hi
its definately rewarding to see your snake shed in one piece....makes you feel that your feeding regime and enclosure set up is ok.....cheers.
 
Anyone who thinks your snake is small probably hasn't had much dealing with Diamonds.
I had one that didn't eat unassisted from hatching for the best part of 2 years so looked like a worm compared to yours. 3 years further on she has caught up with her siblings and will be ready to have her 1st breeding attempt next season.

Keeping diamonds isnt difficult but it is different. Many die young in captivity a 10 year old diamond is generally considered to be doing well and how you keep them in the early years can have a huge impact on that longevity of life.
Whereas most pythons are ready to breed at 2.5 years Im looking at 4.5 for diamonds so they are not pumped with food at a rate that makes them fat.
Yes they are the most Southerly distributed python and can cope with cooler conditions than their more Northerly distributed cousins but kept too cold over extended periods without a decent heat source they will suffer the same fate as other pythons. (Even in winter wild diamonds can be seen basking in the morning sun)
Too much heat also doesn't end well and they can suffer from a condition similar to RI (formerly known as DPS) in mid summer if they dont have enough space to get away from the heat. Mine have decent hot spots that get up towards 40 for 4 to 6 hours a day but their enclosures (for my adults) are large. 1200 wide x 900 deep x 2400 high.
 

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