Ok heres some info that may be interesting to read over.
The Diamond python is larger than the average python. Its size ranges from 6-9 feet (1.8 to 3m). It is said to grow bigger in the wild. The average weight of the animal is about 16 pounds (7 kilos).
Diamond Pythons ae comparatively mild mannered. They are not arboreal, but prefer to spend a lot of their time on trees. They spend time on the ground also. But seem to do this especially to bask.
The species is nocturnal and slow-moving. It makes up for its lesser than average sight, by its keen sense of smell and a row of heat sensing pits on its upper lip. It can sense a warm blooded animal approaching from a distance.
They live on small to medium sized warm-blooded animals. Like all pythons, Diamonds also kill their prey by constricting them.
Caging:
Diamond pythons like extra space. The length of the cage should be at least half the length of the snake. The width should be at least a quarter the length of the animal. Since the Diamond spends a lot of time up a branch, a little extra height would be great for them. If you are getting a hatchling or even a jouvenille snake, which you arem you will to change cages once or even twice by the time the specimen reaches its full size.
Temperature:
Diamonds ae used to lower temperatures than other pythons. A background temperature of about 70 degrees F (21 degrees C) should be fine. Maintain a basking spot of 80 degrees F (26 degrees C).
Humidity:
Maintain cage humidity of 65 to 75%.
Substrate:
Since the animal likes to spend a lot of its time up a branch, a newsprint (newspaper) or Astroturf substrate should serve this purpose. Astroturf is more expensive but its easy to clean, natural looking (looks like grass) and also reuseable so your not throwing away your money as you would be with wood chips/shavings. And, Astroturf is 100% safe for the snake and it could also be used to assist the snake in shedding... so if you can, Astroturf is a good substrate to look into. But not necessary... newspaper is fine too.
Water bowl:
Install an appropriate size water bowl in the cage. Water to a depth of 1-2 inches (2 to 5 cms) should suffice. This will serve the animal's drinking and soaking requirements. As said earlier, the water bowl will assits the snake in shedding its skin by soaking which will loosen the skin making it easier to get off.
Feeding:
Jouvenile Diamonds can be fed pinkies. But when they are older they can be given bigger rodents. Early into adulthood Diamonds are suspectable to an ailment called "Diamond Syndrome". A weakened body structure is an indication of the ailment. When this happens, its bones are brittle and weak and its skin becomes soft and loose. To avoind this, give the animal vitamins D and E and calcium suppliments. I have also heard that Diamonds require UV lighting so you can either install a UV light in the enclosure or sun them in an outside cage (or a cage that the sun hits).
Sexing:
Sexing should only be done by someone who is well experianced and know what they are doing.
Telling the sexes apart is not as simple as it is with other animals. Most other animals have external sex organs, whereas the sex organs of pythons are not visible.
Male pythons have copulatory organs called hemipenes located on both the sides of their anal vent on the inside. These hemipenes are used only for sex. These are not used for passing urine. Urine is passed through a small vent pipe meant for that purpose. The only sure way to tell male from female is to check for the presence of hemipenes. The hemipenes are finger-like organs that lie just behind the cloacal vent extending towards the tail. When not in use, they lie inverted side by side. It is the presence of the hemipenes that make the base of the male's tail just after the cloacal vent appear thicker than in the female. One way of checking for the presence of hemipenes is by the use of a method called popping. Popping is nothing but the application of just the right amount of pressure at the sides of the anal vent. This pressure will make the hemipenes ? if present - pop out. This is, however, to be done delicately and that too by a veterinarian or an experienced herpetologist. If done incorrectly, the hemipenes could suffer permanent damage. Another way of determining the sex of a snake is with the use of a thin flexible surgical probe. Again what we will be looking for is the hemipenes, the male reproductive organs.
With the use of an appropriate surgical probe, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of hemipenes. In case hemipenes are present, the probe goes deeper into the animal than if it is absent.
This however, is not an easy procedure. Invariably you will need the help of an assistant. The snake should be held down belly up and the probe, dipped in a non-reactive lubricant, should then be inserted into the cloacal vent in the direction of the tail. It may not be easy finding the hemipene opening. You may have to twist and turn the probe a little this way and that. You must, at all times, remember that this is a delicate procedure and must be done with the utmost care. Failure to be cautious could damage the hemipenes permanently.
Once you have found the opening of a hemipene, the probe will slide in till it encounters the end. The closed end of the hemipene is elastic and hence the probe will pop out when you try to push it in further. If the hemipenes are absent, you will find that the probe immediately hits a muscular wall and will not go in any further. The depth of the hemipene will depend on the species we are dealing with and the age of the specimen. Probing the hemipene without injuring them requires experience. You may try it in the presence of an experienced herpetologist or leave it to the experts to do this job for you.
The sex of the pythons also can be found by performing Hydrostatic Eversion. Hydrostatic Eversion is injecting saline water into the tail at a spot where the hemipenes would end if the animal did indeed have hemipenes. The pressure of the saline water will make the hemipenes, if present, evert. This is a rather delicate procedure and should always be done by an experienced herpetologist or a qualified veterinary doctor.
If you wanna know about breeding which is something you may think about in the future then heres a little intro to the subject but there is so much info on the subject that i will only tell you this much and when/if you require more info you know what to do, ask us...
Diamond Pythons breed every other year. Males are sexually mature when they are about 4 years old. At that age they are about 4-5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 m)long. Females are sexully mature when they are 5 years and about 6-7 feet (1.8 to 2.1 m) long. Ok, well i think thats all you NEED to know for now and as i said if you need more info you can look it up online or just ask us!
Ok well i hope all this helps. Ciao
Oh and if anyone has something to say (correcting anything i have said) you are more then welcome. Its better you say something instead of me passing on the wrong information so please comment.
