Help hybernating my diamond

[amy23l]

My diamond is now 4 years old and i have never hybernated him. I was thinking i should start this year. Can anybody give me some advice on how to go about doing it, what the temperatures should be, when i should give him his last meal any anything else i need to know???

 

[bohdi13]

Pythons do not hibernate. Although pythons brumate where everything slows down for them, you want to drop the temps by like 1-3 degrees on each side and dont worry if he doesnt feed or is acting slouchy, its normal .You have nothing to worry about.

 

[Barrett]

People, often, implement a 'cool down' period where they lower the temps over winter to stimulate follicle growth in females and sperm development for males, they will also cease feeding over this time. If you don't plan to breed then there is no real point to do it.

 

[KaotikJezta]

People, often, implement a 'cool down' period where they lower the temps over winter to stimulate follicle growth in females and sperm development for males, they will also cease feeding over this time. If you don't plan to breed then there is no real point to do it.

Its a Diamond python, it should be allowed to have a cool winter breeding or not.

 

[Chris1]

offer 30-32C basking spot for 4-6 hours a day, keep him in an unheated room and nature will do the rest. (i leave the windows open for maximum coldness)

you shouldnt be offering more heat than that over summer either, i generally have the heat turned off in summer except for a few days after feeding.
mine started eating again in october (female) and november (male) this year, i offered the last meal at the end of april.

 

[Coppersimon]

Personal I wouldn't be offering anywhere near 32 degrees to a diamond winter or summer. IMO 28degrees is the highest I would keep one in an enclosure in summer and I would drop the temp down to as low a 20-22 degrees. I know most say you only need to drop the temp by 3-4 degrees but diamonds are a cold climate snake.
Where I live the mornings can get down to -5 in the morning and stay around 10-15 all day through winter and the wild diamonds still are out in the morning basking.
Imo Diamonds are a very different snake to other Morelia and shouldn't be heated of feed like them. But that's just my opinion.

 

[Gruni]

There is a big difference between ambient temps and basking surface temps. Even where the temps get really low you will see reptiles taking advantage of bitumen and dark rock surfaces which can easily have a basking temp of 30 or so degrees. Using those sorts of surface temps for a few hours a day and not as a longterm ambient temp is still within a reasonable facsimile of their natural ranges.

 

[nintendont]

Its a Diamond python, it should be allowed to have a cool winter breeding or not.

Its a pet Diamond python, not a wild one subject to natures effects. By that way of thinking should I drop my stimmies nighttime temps to 12*C at night in winter?

 

[saximus]

Its a pet Diamond python, not a wild one subject to natures effects. By that way of thinking should I drop my stimmies nighttime temps to 12*C at night in winter?

I think she's referring to the fact that DPS is thought to be connected to heat so a proper Winter cooling period should be done to help with that.

To the OP, Chris' post is pretty much identical to what I used to do as well.

 

[nintendont]

I think she's referring to the fact that DPS is thought to be connected to heat so a proper Winter cooling period should be done to help with that.

To the OP, Chris' post is pretty much identical to what I used to do as well.

ahhk. thanks my resident APS translator

 

[Viking_Python]

During Summer I give my 4 yr old Diamond 4hrs of heat basking at around 30 degress (8am to Midday on timer) and 7hrs UV light (8am to 3pm on timer)
Warmer months I feed every 7-10 days ( approx september/october to April )
Last feed will be the end of this month, march.
In April I will drop the UV hours down from 7 to 6 hrs. Still 4 hrs bask.
May, June, July, August will be 2 hrs bask, approx 30 degrees (9am to 11am on timer) and 4 hrs UV (8am to Midday on timer)
Around September/October extend the Heat basking up from 2 to 4 hrs and extend the UV time.
Start feeding October.

It is also dependant and where you live. I live in the Diamond Pythons natural range of Central Coast NSW. If you live in North Queensland etc, things like basking times may need to be adjusted as the ambient temperatures will be higher during the winter months.

 

[Hamalicious]

Its a pet Diamond python, not a wild one subject to natures effects. By that way of thinking should I drop my stimmies nighttime temps to 12*C at night in winter?

Just because it's a pet, doesn't undo the snakes evolution. They have evolved to suit a cold climate and so keeping them in unnatural temperatures and seasonal changes will most certainly do them harm or even death. We should be matching our enclosures to nature and closely as possible.

 

[Tesla]

Here is my problem with "Diamonds are a cool climate python" crap.
I live in an area which has arguably Australia's best diamonds and I can tell you during summer it's not uncommon for the temperatures to reach 45 degrees with around 30 degrees being the cooler days especially since I live on a "mountain" which has absolutely no coverage from buildings or vegetation to soften the rays.
It seems a lot of people think that diamonds bask for 4 hours and then sit out in the open for the other 20 hours of the day when in fact they thermoregulate all day long during winter nights in rock crevices which have been heated by the days sun.

Why people continue to offer ridiculous cooling times and temperatures amazes me, no diamond python is out there limiting themselves to 4-6 short hours of heat and nothing else, nowhere in their range does this occur naturally. The idea is to cool them...not freeze them. Cooling can be achieved even with 24 hour heating, primary heat source being on for 4-8 hours depending on season and then having a small heat mat or cord which is timed to come on right after the primary heat source goes out which is heated to between 14-16 degrees.
I have a fair few diamonds and this is the way I have kept them for over 10 years, they have bred successfully every time I have paired them using this method and have never had a single problem with sickness, DPS or feeding.

Diamonds are one of the most fool proof snakes you can own yet people are always having problems with them, that is due to inaccurate husbandry.

 

[MarlaChoodles]

In the complete carpet python, Nick Mutton goes
over DPS and metabolic age. And that a majority of. Captive kept diamonds die around ages 5-7yrs.
He also covers Gary Valles huabandry( Gary has successfully kept and bred diamonds over 23yrs of age)
He states that diamonds need a larger floor space, smaller basking spot and a well ventilated cage with lower humidity to avoid upper respiratory infections.
Temps for sub- adults to adults should be ambient 20-25°c and basking temps 31-33°c. With the basking spot available 7-10 hours a day. Allowing temps to fall in the lower range at night.

Other then that unless mating temps do not need to be lowered. Pythons do not brumate.

 

[ingie]

Personal I wouldn't be offering anywhere near 32 degrees to a diamond winter or summer. IMO 28degrees is the highest I would keep one in an enclosure in summer and I would drop the temp down to as low a 20-22 degrees. I know most say you only need to drop the temp by 3-4 degrees but diamonds are a cold climate snake.
Where I live the mornings can get down to -5 in the morning and stay around 10-15 all day through winter and the wild diamonds still are out in the morning basking.
Imo Diamonds are a very different snake to other Morelia and shouldn't be heated of feed like them. But that's just my opinion.

Are you sure you have ever been through a Melbourne summer? nothing wrong with a 32 degree hot spot if the enclosure also has a cooler end. The snake can choose its own preferred temperature. No one said to keep the entire tank 32.

 

[nintendont]

Just because it's a pet, doesn't undo the snakes evolution. They have evolved to suit a cold climate and so keeping them in unnatural temperatures and seasonal changes will most certainly do them harm or even death. We should be matching our enclosures to nature and closely as possible.

match natural conditions you say? so you feed live prey to your snakes? and have a wind simulator in all your enclosures? lol

 

[bradles73au]

Regarding temperatures... with a hatchling, would you let it have cool down periods over the winter? My diamond x coastal has a basking spot of around 30 degrees and a cooler spot at the bottom of the enclosure. They have then been dropping at night to around 24 top end with no heat source and 18 - 20 down the bottom. with thermost set to kick in as per advise from seller. What are peoples opinions in regard to this. I have read some people say that they should have the same constant temperatures for the first year with no drop in temperatures.

 

[Tobe404]

Its a Diamond python, it should be allowed to have a cool winter breeding or not.

That and it could also be used to keep any Python/Snake(s) condition in check.

 

[KaotikJezta]

Its a pet Diamond python, not a wild one subject to natures effects. By that way of thinking should I drop my stimmies nighttime temps to 12*C at night in winter?

I don't know about your stimmi, but my 9 year old spotted curls up in his hide from early Juneuntil mid to late November regardless of the temperature he is kept at, as do a lot of anteresia. They may be pets but they are not built to be constantly metabolized. lt is sad to see the average stated lifespan of lizards and snakes has halved since I started keeping and I have to wonder how much of that is overheating and overfeeding.

 

[Gruni]

match natural conditions you say? so you feed live prey to your snakes? and have a wind simulator in all your enclosures? lol

Are you seriously that obstinate and argumentative???? The point being made is quite clear that as keepers of any animal our aim is to provide it with conditions that 'resemble' their natural environment. You wouldn't keep tropical fish in an unheated tank in Melbourne for example. They keep polar bears on the Gold Coast but they cool their water and attempt to give them a more conducive environment so that they can survive as comfortably as possible. What does live feeding (which can result in harmful bites to your prize snake) have to do with trying to give them a temp range that matches their habitat and physical needs got to do with anything. Regardless of whether you run a naturalistic enclosure or a plain box with a rectangular hide part of the basic husbandry is still to give the snake food and water, a place to hide and
an adequate form of heating to maintain metabolism.

The OP asked a very relevent question and this bickering does not help them to address their concern. The existence of DPS causes some angst for anyone who is getting into Diamonds. The posts regarding natural temp ranges for some areas are spot on. It does get hot and it does get very cold but the snake has a diverse area in which to thermo regulate itself and to protect itself from the extreme cold. Our enclosures are not capable of mirroring that realistically so best practice as I understand it is to reduce the exposure to higher ambient temps and still provide a basking shelf which is warm enough to promote digestion and metabolic function for maintaining health and avoiding RI. If your enclosue is tall enough it is possible to design shading etc to ensure the upper reaches are warm but that a cool thermal layer exists in the lower part and your snake can then move accordingly between them.

Hopefully in amongst all of this Amy can find the answers she was looking for at the start of the thread.