Diamonds and Temperature

[Pike01]

I use the same method as Rob, my lights are on all day now and off all night. In summer i give my snakes no heat during the day and the lights are on all night. I have never lost a snake to anything temp related using this method, which cant be said about thermostats(including most of my eggs this year when the thermostat failed). The biggest wattage i use on my snakes is 40w spot bulbs, once you work out the bulbs you need, bobs your uncle. But in the end just use what works for you.

 

[pugsly]

You may not have said it was the only way but ya keep harping on about it being the BEST way or how its is so much more effective than others..

Do you know the success rates of every breeder in australia using the other ways.. doubt it.

It may be cheaper but seriously a $30 thermostat oooooo huge money there! Come on if people like thermostats woopy!

 

[Kenshin]

pugs mate im pretty sure he was hitting more on the fact that when a thermostat fails it is really horrific and ends with the herps death not on the fact that thermos cost dosh

 

[The Rock]

Kenshin,-Thanks mate, you took the words rigth out of my mouth. At least someone Is getting my meaning. A lot of people need to look ouside the square they live in, I have, and perfer this method, but I think everyone needs to have more of an open mind and maybe even try it on a cage or two. I think most will be pleasantly surprised.
Stencorp69,- not necessarly as the heat from those surfaces can in some cases stop the thermo comming back on yet may not be enough for a crook animal.(fine line for error.)
Rob

 

[The Rock]

Kenshin,- sorry forgot about other post, Id love to but you have no Idea how long it takes me to type, It would take me for ever, thats why I left my number, (0408461471). Ill try to rope my girl freind in to it as she types like a cyclone. Thanks heaps for the interest, you, like myself, obviously like to venture outside the square, tends to make life more interesting and fun. Thanks.
Rob

 

[toxinologist]

As for the mac pic, nice animal. However not a true Blond Mac as you stated if its not from the Pt Douglas to Cooktown race. I was the first to start breeding this particular form of mac and I named them Blond Macs. Similar looking macs from other areas should not be confused with the real Blonds that I named.

Hey Bob,

Maybe I'm going senile, and perhaps BAS remembers exactly when, but my recollection was that Brian Starkey collected the very first so-called "blonde" A.maculosus back in the '80's, and it was actually John Weigal from the ARP who coined the term "blonde macs" for these snakes...

On a related note, I have Mark O'Shea's paper on the South Fly District Antaresia spp from PNG if anyone wants a copy ... just email me direct <[email protected]> and I'll send back the file.

Cheers


David Williams
PNG Snake Venom Research Project

 

[OuZo]

Ok well what I'm more interested in hearing from people is how long their Diamonds have lived! People are talking about their successes with breeding etc but heaps of people have success with breeding with heaps of different techniques. What Rob initially was pointing out is that "apparently" all Diamonds who aren't cooled in his way will have a life shortened by at least half. I'd like to know how old people's Diamonds have lived to when they have been cooled/kept in ways different to what Rob claims is the only way! I personally want to make sure mine live long lives and when you hear so many stories of them dying young if you dont do this or that I'd like to actually know what ages people are talking about.

 

[The Rock]

Remember OZO, I only use that method becuase i live in QLD, other wise theyd be in averies. Even if i lived in the southeast QLD hinterland,ie stanthorpe, towomba, some where cold Id be useing averies, but I surf and there aint no surf in land. Im a coastal freak, if I cant see or smell the sea for to long I have trouble sloughing.
Rob

 

[serpenttongue]

Rob, its interesting that you keep your diamonds at 10-15 degrees during winter. I'm not against that at all and i think diamonds can handle that, but surely its not necessary. Wild diamonds usually spend winter in crevices of rocky outcrops that face north. Deep within the crevices of these outcrops the temps could possibly remain 10 degrees higher than outside temps. And then there's days when the diamonds can emerge and bask in full sunlight to raise their body temps even further. One year nature can thrown an extremely harsh winter at a diamond, but then there's also years when the winters are quite mild. All these wild diamonds presumably are living longer life spans than their captive counterparts (save for predation etc).

 

[The Rock]

Serp,- Definetly, I agree 100 per cent, but thats in the wild where they come from. Here in QLD its a different story. Lets face it if they could handle QLDs climate in the wild there is a good chance they would of evolved differently and they may of been found further north. But the have evolved in a climate of scorching summers and freezing winters. As you all ready know they have only a small range compared to most aussie pythons. They in my opinion are a specialised cold climate python that can also handle the extremes of a 2-4 month scorching summer.
Rob