Small Diamond Python

[Harty]

Just after a bit of advice from people that have had more experience than myself(2 months).
I have what I have been told is a quite small diamond python. I got him when he was 10 months old and apparently he had only been fed 4 time in that time. He was born in march and was not fed until November.(why I do not know??). Have been told that I should try and grow him fairly quickly for a while to get a bit of size into him.
Q.1 Does anyone have any ideas about any supplements that I could give him to help his growth. He seems quite healthy at the moment. I feed him every friday night( last week he ate 3 pinkie rats) and 5 weeks ago he shed his skin all in one piece. The length of his shed was 60cm. Have been suggeted mutton bird oil but dont know whether this is good/bad...

Q.2- At the moment I have the day temp set at 24-31 degrees and have the night time temp set at about 20-24 degrees. Will he grow faster if I have the night setting also at 24-31 degrees(I have 2 thermostats)?. I am not planning to cool him over winter so he can keep growing.

Will try and put a link to my gallery as I have just got a couple of photos taken of him yesterday and you can see for yourselves how little he is...
http://www.aussiepythons.com/module...ery&file=index&include=view_photo.php
If it does not work they are under Harty in gallery.
Thanks....h.

 

[almaron]

As long as he seems healthy, and eats good now, I wouldn't worry too much. I don't know of any "supplement" or the like that can promote rapid growth, and would really advise against it to be honest. Try to resist the impulse to overfeed. There seems to be some evidence that too rapid of growth, with diamonds in particular, can cause health issues.

Feeding him weekly sounds reasonable to me. Just keep that up, and he will grow. If it were me, I would offer as much as he will eat (within reason) at one sitting weekly for now. Then maybe scale that back to longer durations between feedings at some later point.

 

[grahamh]

Cute little Diamond. Mine was born in March last year (Snap) and seems to have started to grow a bit in the last couple of weeks. I plan of cooling her again this year and have been feeding her 2 rat pups per week to build her up a bit for her quiet time. She'a put on 10% wt increase in two weeks and actually looks like she's becoming a snake.

The mutton bird oil..hmmm I get the impression that it's not recommended for normal use as your snake can get get overweight. I think what you're doing sounds fine. Diamonds are one of the slowest growing of the Aussie pythons and can live for 25 years or more. 8)

 

[dan_lizard]

Harty,

Your Diamond was born around the same time as my carpet. I am not sure of the length of him, but they look similarly(ish) sized. As long as he's eating fine, then don't worry, he'll come good.

As for the Mutton Bird Oil, I have heard very bad things about it. Apparently it can cause major liver (i think) damage as the mutton bird oil is extremely high in fat. I wouldn't suggest using it......

Daniel.

 

[Gregory]

I reckon you're doing the right thing. I wouldn't bother with any supplements or anything. The only thing I would do is try a slightly larger rat instead of pinkies. I don't mean to overfeeed him but he may benefit from a meatier rat. From looking at the photo I'm sure he'd handle a fuzzy or two.

Cheers, Greg

 

[Harty]

Thanks for the help fellas. I think I got a bit worried because I was told he was really little for his age, but sounds like from what you guys have said he is only slightly small. I will stick to a diet of rats...

Gregory, we are on the same wavelength. Last week I caught up with the Africanfish and bought 20 fuzzy rats off him. Will be interesting to watch him eat them as they are quite big. I have to wait thought as he is about to shed in the next couple of days. Hopefully I can keep this shed as my girlfriends cat ate his first skin.. :cry: :cry:

 

[Greebo]

Don't worry about it too much.
Size isnt everything.
I have a murray darling that did not eat for three months. Incredibly he still shed once during this period.He has since started eating regularly again but has basically missed out on 3 months growth.
There is growing evidence that speed feeding can shorten a snake's lifespan. Keep giving him one big feed a week..thats heaps.

 

[africancichlidau]

Get them fuzzies into him me old Harty Then you can come and buy some more Hehehe, only joking buddy.
One thing though, in your post you said you are not gonna cool him this year? Some people believe that not cooling can lead to DPS, don't know if there is any truth in it and I am not qualified to give you advice as I have never had a diamond apart from the one my ex took with her when we divorced!! Just thought I'd tell you that though cos I have heard a few people say it.

 

[Harty]

I am a little confuzzled :roll: about the cooling of snakes, have read other posts on it but still not 100% on it. When people cool their snakes over the winter months, do they stop feeding the snake or do they keep feeding it?? I am under the impression that they stop feeding them, therefore they do not grow much. This was why I was going to keep him growing and not turn the temp down. From the sound of it though, maybe he isn't all that small and could be cooled. As you mentioned africa and I have read, DPS could be associated with this topic. Better to be safe than sorry.
I will have to start reading and find out the temps and time frames involved...

Africa, Alf was soo excited tonight he jumped out of his skin and I caught him half way through it, was amazing to watch. He has grown 8cm in 2 months. I have just put him to bed hugging a little afro rat..

 

[grahamh]

Yay

Go me Harty
Go Alf

on the cooling thing with Diamonds they should have their last feed before cooling about 3 weeks before the cooling starts. No feeding during the cooling. He'll make up for it after. I would suggest trying to get him to eat a little extra in the lead up to the cooling but don't go overboard.

8)

The Patch pack rules 8)

 

[Gregory]

I wouldn't bother cooling him this year, I'd keep things as they are for this winter. There won't be any adverse affect on him if he's not cooled. Just keep feeding him once a week.He may refuse the odd one but don't worry about it.


Cheers , Greg

 

[africancichlidau]

Lol me Harty, told you those afro rats were something special