- Joined
- Jul 30, 2017
- Messages
- 13
- Reaction score
- 0
Hi all
My husband has had a couple of diamond pythons for 6 years now and they were probably about a year old when we got them. They have been in an indoor terrarium all that time with heating (light, heat lamp and in the early days a heat mat under the sand mixture) until about 6 months ago, when my husband got advice from another snake keeper that they don't need heat in winter! Because they don't get it in the wild! And because they are about to be moved to an outdoor enclosure he has had specifically built. For the last year they have been in a terrarium in the garage so that is much colder than the house anyway, without turning off their heating.
I have had no training so may be wrong, but common sense tell me that if they have been brought up in captivity with artificial heating, then they should always have it. Maybe less in winter.
I came home today and found Nagini hanging with her head upsidedown and not moving. I have never seen them in that position before. When I tried to rouse her she barely moved. I got her out and warmed her up on me, and she is just staying wrapped around me, not going off exploring like she normally would. The terrarium was showing 12.5 degrees C. We live in Gordon, Sydney suburbs. Is it normal for her to have been hanging her head upsidedown like that. I thought she was dead!
The outdoor enclosure has a roof over part of it and walls around half of it, so there is protection from the elements and access to sun. Snake proof wire. Concrete slab, then bricks. Do we need heating?
Thanks for your advice.
My husband has had a couple of diamond pythons for 6 years now and they were probably about a year old when we got them. They have been in an indoor terrarium all that time with heating (light, heat lamp and in the early days a heat mat under the sand mixture) until about 6 months ago, when my husband got advice from another snake keeper that they don't need heat in winter! Because they don't get it in the wild! And because they are about to be moved to an outdoor enclosure he has had specifically built. For the last year they have been in a terrarium in the garage so that is much colder than the house anyway, without turning off their heating.
I have had no training so may be wrong, but common sense tell me that if they have been brought up in captivity with artificial heating, then they should always have it. Maybe less in winter.
I came home today and found Nagini hanging with her head upsidedown and not moving. I have never seen them in that position before. When I tried to rouse her she barely moved. I got her out and warmed her up on me, and she is just staying wrapped around me, not going off exploring like she normally would. The terrarium was showing 12.5 degrees C. We live in Gordon, Sydney suburbs. Is it normal for her to have been hanging her head upsidedown like that. I thought she was dead!
The outdoor enclosure has a roof over part of it and walls around half of it, so there is protection from the elements and access to sun. Snake proof wire. Concrete slab, then bricks. Do we need heating?
Thanks for your advice.