Diamonds and Temperature

[The Rock]

I constantly here peole say, and read many articles stating that Diamonds cant be expossed to high temeratures. Or it will help bring on Diamond syndrome. Absolute rubbish Diamonds thrive when given acsess to heat all year round as long as they are cooled down properly for 6 to 12 weeks.
Lets face it with a west or nor-west wind Diamond country can become the hotest coastal region inthe country especially when the bush fires start.
Even when its not that hot they have the ability to thermoregulate very quickly, hence being a prodomatly black snake.
In my experence and opinon acsess to high temperatures will not effect a diamond at all as long as they have acsess to room temp as well, and are cooled down properly. Cooling Diamonds down properly well thats whole new topic.

Rob

 

[pugsly]

Cool stuff mate, there have been so many threads on cooling diamonds and either no one wants to tell there sectrets or no one knows how to do it correctly, maybe you could share for us newbies how you do it? You have (from what I have heard) a lot of experience and it would be valuable info for us!

 

[Springherp]

What do you believe to be the contributing factors to Soggy diamond syndrome then Rock?
I agree that an appropriate winter and night-time cooling period is vital for their health. Maybe its just temperature varience that is necessary?
Theres plenty of theories floating around and I think someone needs to do some serious research into it, and then publicly post the information gathered. I think maybe Glenn Shea has done some work on the topic?

Does anyone here have a diamond with what they believe to be Diamond python/Soggy snake syndrome? Or anyone with pictures even?

Cheers...

 

[diamond_python]

Cooling Diamonds down properly well thats whole new topic.

That is something that I need to know about and quickly. Maybe someone can discuss the correct ways to go about this

 

[africancichlidau]

stating that Diamonds cant be expossed to high temeratures. Or it will help bring on Diamond syndrome. Absolute rubbish

Pretty brave statement about a phenomenon for which the causes are unknown.

 

[junglemad]

Well i hope i have done it right...mine are all at room temp now...i see them looking hungrily at me and i am feeling like turning the heat back up and feeding them some rats STAT...the cooling period could be as long as 12 weeks?? they will be lean and mean by then

 

[africancichlidau]

If they are still looking for food then room temp may be a little high? Did you give them nice big feeds leading up to the heat going off?

 

[Rossagon]

Yeah im with afro here. pretty brave statement. I do however believe that diamonds do need to be kept at a significantly different temperature gradient year round in comparison to their northern Morelia counterparts. I would also consider that given this particular species is found, and thrives along the coolest parts of the eastern australian mainland compared to all but the Murray Darlings perhaps, a cooler temperature may be beneficial towards their health in captivity. Have you ever been to Eden any time of the year. not the warmest place on earth, and diamonds are reasonably common around Ben Boyd and the like. just my piece. Rossco.

 

[junglemad]

Yeah they were getting two large rats a week since Christmas...i might get someone with more experience to check them out.
They are coiling around each other and sleeping in the one hide box.
Sydney room temperature...insulated house...some questions...

1 once i spot them mating do i slowly turn the heat back up
2 how soon should i offer a feed after this?

 

[The Rock]

Ok, come on guys this is getting abit weird.I hope I misunderstood and we havent got people out there just turning off the heat and leaving there animals in limbo for a few weeks.Thats extemelly dangerous and stupid.!!!
All aussie pythons need hot days and cold nights for there cooling period except Diamonds. When cooling Diamonds I pack them away in foam eskys with nothing but 2 cm thick paper on bottom a hide box and a bowl of damp spagnem moss NOT WATER, to stop it drying out.
Then I keep the inside temp at 10-15 degrees. They need to stay ther for a min of 6 weeks and a max of 12 weeks. Sounds weird huh as if you were to do this to any other aussie python chances are you would kill it.
If you dont do this, on average your Diamonds WILL get Diamond syndeome before they reach 10 years.The perfect temp is 12-13 degrees.
The cause is not unknowen, Diamond syndrome is caused by not cooling them down properly, it is not a disease, their nerveous system goes hay-wire from not cooling them properly.They can have acsess to heat all year round (except cooling period) and live for 20-30 years, dont cool them properly and expect tem to die by 10 years on average.

Rob

 

[westhamsc]

Pretty brave statement about a phenomenon for which the causes are unknown.

i agree here

The cause is not unknowen, Diamond syndrome is caused by not cooling them down properly,

and you can back this up how?

 

[OuZo]

So Rob does anyone here know who you are? As in why we should all take the word of someone who's been on the site for 1 day and claims to know everything about a problem that nobody else seems to know much about? Not trying to have a stab at ya or anything but what sorta experience do you have? Have you trialled not cooling your Diamonds and watched them all die after 10 years as you say they will no doubt do, and then trialled cooling them as you describe above and seen them live 20-30 years? Or keeping their temps generally lower than other pythons or higher etc etc there's so many diff combo's of what can be done and I'd imagine you would have had to have tried quite a lot of these to be so confident in what you have been saying. Once again I'm not trying to take a stab and knowing my luck you'll probably turn out to be the most famous herper of all time or sumthing lol. I'm just interested to know how you seem to be so adamant about what will cause DPS and what won't when most stuff you read about it always says it's unknown

 

[westhamsc]

and at what age do you start cooling them rob?

 

[Hickson]

Psssst..........Zoe,

I don't know who he is either.



Hix

 

[NCHERPS]

I think(The Rock) is 'Rob McCloud', experienced breeder from QLD.

Am I right?

 

[OuZo]

Apparently so NC :lol:

 

[beknluke]

Hmm, this is sounding interesting?
I would LOVE to see some data, some studies? Heck, I might even go so far as to ask for PROOF!!

I'm going out on a limb here guys

(Rob, I'm not having a stab either,but I have just recently aquired a Diamond and I am very keen for her to have a long life... And I TOO would like to know the age at which you suggest cooling them from)

 

[Kenshin]

why must everything turn into a poo slinging match

 

[Vat69]

That method of sticking diamonds away in boxes for weeks on end sounds very American actually.
Rob, how old are the diamonds you do this to? Are they up over 20 years?

It's my understanding that during winter when the pythons cool themselves they'll still come out and sun themselves. They don't just hold up in a dark cave and sleep. That method of sticking them in esky's doesn't make sense to me.<but that's ok, I'm not a herpetologist :wink:

"If you dont do this, on average your Diamonds WILL get Diamond syndeome before they reach 10 years." <That I also don't understand. I've seen diamonds that have never been cooled in the manner you've described and they're up over 10yrs old. They're also very healthy.
That's not to say you're wrong exactly, just perhaps there are different methods.

Just curious

 

[ashley_morris22]

thanks rock