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liamdc

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Hi there!

Picking up my new Diamond python female whom is already 4years old and approx 5ft. My terranium is quite a large reptile one brand, with a nice big tree branch inside. Running a uv light on top of it with a daylight cycle etc. Been watching my thermo for a few days now and my house seems to sit at 28degrees during the day at the moment (also in terranium) and I know Diamonds come from nsw where it is cooler. Does this mean during summer I would just run my U.V light and no basking heat lamp during the day if it is already between 27 - 28degrees?

Cheers :)
 
Hi there!

Picking up my new Diamond python female whom is already 4years old and approx 5ft. My terranium is quite a large reptile one brand, with a nice big tree branch inside. Running a uv light on top of it with a daylight cycle etc. Been watching my thermo for a few days now and my house seems to sit at 28degrees during the day at the moment (also in terranium) and I know Diamonds come from nsw where it is cooler. Does this mean during summer I would just run my U.V light and no basking heat lamp during the day if it is already between 27 - 28degrees?

Cheers :)

I am a newbie and would appreciate some help.
 
yes, if your house is holding these temps during the day you can get away with just running the UV light, just make sure your giving a decent water source to lay in if she needs to. People in Metro Melbourne keeping diamonds outside virtually year round no heating sources these animals are thriving.
 
Sorry Liam,
I had meant to respond to this but forgot all about it.
28 is not warm enough for a hot spot but it is too high to keep the animal as an ambient in my opinion. I keep mine at ambient most of the time which would be 18-22 but I also provide a 4-6 hour hot spot of 32-35 so the animal can select to get warmer if they wish. (Benefits of a large enclosure)
I'm not anti UV so don't shoot the messenger here but Diamonds do not NEED UV for a normal life. Whatever person suggests they want/need/benefit from UV you will find another who says they don't. Myself I have never used UV for Diamonds, have bred them for several years and have kept them now for 10 years......(Original animals are still here with me).
One of the biggest problems with the UV is people don't measure the UV so despite their best intentions the globes are probably not emitting the levels they think so the argument is actually not relevant until everyone is actually changing globes every 3-6 months and measuring the effectiveness of those UV globes on a weekly basis.

Hope this helps
 
And the whole uv thing comes about because of this.
UV light converts to vitamin D, which would be needed in snakes if they didn't eat whole prey items.
Whole prey items containing bones have an easily absorbed source of calcium, ie a snake can absorb and use the calcium in this form.
Some lizards on the other hand only eat bugs(generally speaking). Bugs don't have bones, and though they contain calcium it's not in a form that's readily available to the lizard without the vitamin D from the sun. Sunlight, converted to vitamin D is how they unlock the calcium so they can benefit from it. Without uv, no vitamin D, no calcium. No matter how much they eat, it goes straight through them and is excreted.
So a beardy for example, (diurnal) who receives no uv, either in sunlight form (always the best), or from a globe, (globes will never match natural sunlight), will suffer calcium deficiency in the form of MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease) where their bones don't form properly, or are stripped of calcium as they age, leaving them with weak, deformed bones.
An hour or two a week of natural sun is all they need to do the conversion, more is better. I would never just leave it up to a globe, as they (like Paul said) aren't usually measured and may be inadequate.
 
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