Cooling - Introduction

[Magpie]

I thought I knew the answer to this but talking to someone else has made me doubt that. The question is
Should snakes be intoduced before or after cooling?
I thought it was after, but a guy I was talking to was suggesting that he does before and has bred lots of pythons.
If the answer is before, sorry Alexahnder, I should have been sure of my facts before giving you advice

 

[Magpie]

After seems to be the way to go, although some people seem to do before.

 

[cyber_crimes]

Hey Mags.
Yup,they must be introduced after winter cooling.The females need heat during times they are gravid in order to produce viable eggs (theyll bask belly up under the heat source at 32 degrees).
If introduction was done before cooling the gravid females would be left to carry the eggs to full term in roughly 18 degrees (which I dont think would survive but I may be mistaken).I cool mine for 2-3 months with no food during start of winter then bring the heat back up to spring time temps and leave seperated for a week while feeding again.After a week or two I introduce the male into the females enclosure and leave for 2-3 days and seperate again for few days then reintroduce to stimulate them. I will also add another males hide and shed skin if possible to induce breeding.Once females are gravid I will turn up there heat to summer time temps till eggs are laid.