MR_IAN_DAVO
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- Nov 18, 2010
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Hi all, there has been a lot of heating questions of recent times & understadably due to cold weather.
I just thought that i would put this up for others to comment & put forward their ideas,thoughts & knowledge.
I have a beleif that i would rather house a snake on the cool side rather than the hot side. As others have posted in other threads the ideal heating temp for most pythons is 28 to 32c there can be differences as i believe that BHPs as an example prefer a daytime temp of 34 to 35c. It should also be stated that cooler areas should also be provided for a cool retreat for the snake & that Diamond pythons in my belief should be kept at the lower end of the temp scale & allways provided with a much cooler hide.
Now housing & location have a lot to play but the ideal temp for snakes still remain the same. Also the age/size of pythons also dictates how long temp should be provided. All my young snakes hatchlings & up to about 2 yrs age are provided with heat 24/7 at the lower end of the ideal temp regime, this is due to smaller size not being able to retain heat as efficeint as an older snake & also for continual feeding.
With my older adult snakes depending on species & whether breeding or not are supplied heat to the higher end of the temp regime for daytime only & the amont of hours will be reduced somewhat when cooling for breeding.
It is my belief that older snakes can handle lower temps better than higher temps & when too high temp is introduced for extended periods internal organ failures can occur. An older larger snake is much more efficent in retaining body heat by coiling up. When the prefered temp is given again they will come out & bask to warm thier body temp & then go & coil up again.
Feeding large snakes providing that appropriate daytime temp is given & gained by the snake should not be a problem & will digest ok. Where low temps are maintained for long periods feeding is not apropriate.
These are my beliefs & not nesecarily correct. This is the guide that i use & have not had problems.
A lot comes down to where you live,the housing type,heat source & temp given. A snake given a clean envirnment & good food & the right temps should never get crook & live a long healthy life.
The pics shown below are taken this morning of one of my outdoor enclosures used to house older Morelia. The snakes come out for a short period in the morning to bask in the sun to warm up & then dissapear again coiling up in a cooler spot provided. They are provided with some morning sun as well as shaded areas & as you can see the snake is warming itself in about 33 to 34c natural sunlight in the middle of winter. In Summer the temps are higher & the snakes will come out earlier & then retreat earlier. Don't under estimate the heating of the natural sun. I have had in recent years past worried about some of my outdoor snakes as there was ice form on the grass early one morning, i did a skin temp test on one of the snakes with my thermo gun & it was 3c but as soon as the sun came up it came out & warmed up & all OK.
I just thought that i would put this up for others to comment & put forward their ideas,thoughts & knowledge.
I have a beleif that i would rather house a snake on the cool side rather than the hot side. As others have posted in other threads the ideal heating temp for most pythons is 28 to 32c there can be differences as i believe that BHPs as an example prefer a daytime temp of 34 to 35c. It should also be stated that cooler areas should also be provided for a cool retreat for the snake & that Diamond pythons in my belief should be kept at the lower end of the temp scale & allways provided with a much cooler hide.
Now housing & location have a lot to play but the ideal temp for snakes still remain the same. Also the age/size of pythons also dictates how long temp should be provided. All my young snakes hatchlings & up to about 2 yrs age are provided with heat 24/7 at the lower end of the ideal temp regime, this is due to smaller size not being able to retain heat as efficeint as an older snake & also for continual feeding.
With my older adult snakes depending on species & whether breeding or not are supplied heat to the higher end of the temp regime for daytime only & the amont of hours will be reduced somewhat when cooling for breeding.
It is my belief that older snakes can handle lower temps better than higher temps & when too high temp is introduced for extended periods internal organ failures can occur. An older larger snake is much more efficent in retaining body heat by coiling up. When the prefered temp is given again they will come out & bask to warm thier body temp & then go & coil up again.
Feeding large snakes providing that appropriate daytime temp is given & gained by the snake should not be a problem & will digest ok. Where low temps are maintained for long periods feeding is not apropriate.
These are my beliefs & not nesecarily correct. This is the guide that i use & have not had problems.
A lot comes down to where you live,the housing type,heat source & temp given. A snake given a clean envirnment & good food & the right temps should never get crook & live a long healthy life.
The pics shown below are taken this morning of one of my outdoor enclosures used to house older Morelia. The snakes come out for a short period in the morning to bask in the sun to warm up & then dissapear again coiling up in a cooler spot provided. They are provided with some morning sun as well as shaded areas & as you can see the snake is warming itself in about 33 to 34c natural sunlight in the middle of winter. In Summer the temps are higher & the snakes will come out earlier & then retreat earlier. Don't under estimate the heating of the natural sun. I have had in recent years past worried about some of my outdoor snakes as there was ice form on the grass early one morning, i did a skin temp test on one of the snakes with my thermo gun & it was 3c but as soon as the sun came up it came out & warmed up & all OK.
