Diamond Nest Box

[david63]

Hi All

What size & material nesting box do people use for their Diamonds?


Cheers
David

 

[herptrader]

Not specifically for diamonds but carpets in general I have made boxes that neatly "sleave" over square hobby boxes about the size of a milk crate (from Bunnings). They are made with a round hole in the lid about 100mm in diameter. I line the box with sphagnum moss which I will dampen come egg laying (and sometimes) sloughing time. I found these hide boxes to work well and always end up being the chosen site to lay the eggs.

 

[The Rock]

If you use 30-60 or more layers of paper in the enclosure, even with the most elaborate nesting boxes avilable to them they will almost always lay under the paper rather than the nesting box. I have proven this many many times over the years with many different species of oz pythons so much so I dont bother at all with nesting boxes any more. Just make sure there is 1 or 2 layers on the floor that lie flat and they cant get under, for easy egg removal.

 

[OuZo]

We went and bought a battery box from K-Mart, chopped a hole in the lid and filled it with Spagnum Moss. It's our first time so I dunno how we'll go but it looks orright lol :lol:

 

[david63]

Thanks for the advice herptrader

David

 

[david63]

Thanks also Rock, OuZo - you both replied while I was replying to Herptrader.


David

 

[OuZo]

Hey Rock head, I heard newspaper sucks the water out of eggs like a wick and kills em after an hour or so...I'm guessing you don't have a problem with it or are you always there to get them quickly?

 

[serpenttongue]

David63, i use boxes that are big enough so that when she has laid and is coiled around the eggs, i can still get my hands down around her sides to start working her off the eggs. Remember that their clutches can be a descent size and will take up alot of space within a box. If the box is small she will be squeezed in tight once the eggs are laid, making it hard to get her out.

As a bedding i normally use grass cuttings from the lawn mower(after they've dried) as the females seem able to easily work this substrate into a nest by creating a mound around her. I always make sure any substrate is bone dry when its time for egglaying (even though females will usually lift the eggs up from the substrate using their coils).

Hinged doors that open from the top work better for easy access to the eggs. Doors that are on the side of the box make it very hard to get the female off the eggs and they also tend to be a bit more aggressive.

 

[The Rock]

Ouzo, who ever told you that is talking absolute rubbish. Ive always used it and never had a problem at all. In fact years ago when I used to let the odd one maternaly incubate, under heaps of layers of paper was always their perfered nesting areas, I would spray the animal and her eggs twice weekly to keep humidity up, only to stop them peeing on and around the eggs to do the same themselves.

 

[OuZo]

Cool thanx Rock biter . I guess I don't have to worry if she drops em on the paper then lol

 

[david63]

Thanks Serpenttongue I like the idea of the hinged lid & having the room to reach in around her to ease her off the eggs.

Cheers
David

 

[herptrader]

Thanks Serpenttongue I like the idea of the hinged lid & having the room to reach in around her to ease her off the eggs.David

All my my hide boxes have a lid that can be completely removed and just held in place by a flange.

 

[zen]

I was just wondering whether or not "Polystyrene foam" i.e, Brocolli boxes/Fish boxes were suitable as nesting sites.

Partially filled with damp sphagnum moss or dried lawn clippings (as Serpenttongue suggested).

I've put one in but she doesn't seem to spend any time in there & she's just about due to lay any day now.

 

[kahn_10]

hey i use melamine to construct me hidey boxes which fit neet in the corner and welll for size that all depends on the snake

cheers kahn

 

[herptrader]

I have used bannana boxes in the past. It looked pretty ugly but worked.

I cut a suitable hole in the top and held a sheet of plastic in place with the lid and lined it with damp sphagnum moss.

I did not get any eggs that year but the sepent seemed to like using it.