whats the coldest temps your snakes can take

[shaunyboy]

i just thought id find out what the coolest temps you run your snakes at during their cooling cycle for those snakes that require one due to breeding,etc

the reason i ask is im thinking the diamond python will be the snake that tolerates the lowest temps with no ill effect.

please correct me if im wrong

i just moved my diamond into the coldest room of my house.i need to achieve night time lows of 50f to 55f.

she will be dropped down to these temps 1 month after her last feed.this gives her time to clear her gut.

she will drop from normal temps to her new temps over the first 2 weeks of cooling.she will then stay at those temps for the next 12 weeks.

the last 2 weeks of this 16 week process her temps will be raised back to normal

i would also like to point out she only gets fed 7 to 8 months of the year.

do any of you have any snakes that require special techniques that would kill most other snake species ?

cheers shaun

[infernalis]

Just for reference, Garter snakes can survive all the way down to just above frozen.

They brumate just below the frost line.

A harsh winter can lower the frost line and wipe out entire den site, it happens.

[Freebody]

hey shawn, do you do that every year with your diamond? or just to try and breed them this year, alot of people dont chill their diamonds in captivity anymore, i read lots of sites that say do like your doing, a few that say no, mark was saying he does not do it either, and someone else here, cant remember atm. I was told they do this in the wind because they have no choice but in captivity its pointless to potentialy harm them during this process. i dont mean to disrespect you or anything, im just intersted in you view on the matter, as i have diamonds and need to pick a path to travel as this is my first winter for them coming up here, decision time sort a speek lol i dont think im going to, im pretty sure im going to raise them like mark does being how they are his babies.

[gonesnakee]

Ya thats a good 15F cooler than I would ever allow my Diamonds to get.
Never understood the need to cool them that much as it is not required for breeding.
As Wayne has already stated Garters get close to freezing (32F) likely more around 40F in most dens I would guess? Again folks do not go that cold in captivity that I am aware of anyhow?
NA Colubrids such as Corns & Kings get subjected yearly at around anywhere from 40-55F & here at my house they see temps around 50-55F yearly down in the corner of an unfinished basement.
Anything lower than 45-50 can be dangerous & could lead to RIs/death.
Again they handle cooler temps in the wild because they have too but not all of them survive them either.
Even at an average of around 55F or so with some "dips" I have had snakes come out of brumation with RIs before & I have also lost breeders in brumation before in really cold years as well.
Here in Calagry the temps can change dramatically overnight.
A classic example being today as I woke up to snow & 2 C temps (approx 35-40F), yesterday at this time (lunchish) it was plus 23C & last night was in the midteens still prior the cold front hitting.
Makes it a pain in the butt for steady/stable temps at times.
In the winter it can be -30C/F in the am & plus 15-20C in the afternoon when the Chinnook hits, major temp jumps/drops here anyhow, Mark

[percey39]

I have had copperheads ( australaps superbus ) at 5 degrees celcius before. I keep them at room temp with no heat at all unless feeding. My room stays around 20-25 degrees celcius though. These guys are the last snake to go into brumation over here and have been active with snow around in the wild. They are amazing snakes!

[infernalis]

My basement is right around 50 degrees on the floor.

I simply place females in totes down on the basement floor for 4 weeks and the cool temps and lack of light cycles will trigger ovulation.

[shaunyboy]

hey shawn, do you do that every year with your diamond? or just to try and breed them this year, alot of people dont chill their diamonds in captivity anymore, i read lots of sites that say do like your doing, a few that say no, mark was saying he does not do it either, and someone else here, cant remember atm. I was told they do this in the wind because they have no choice but in captivity its pointless to potentialy harm them during this process. i dont mean to disrespect you or anything, im just intersted in you view on the matter, as i have diamonds and need to pick a path to travel as this is my first winter for them coming up here, decision time sort a speek lol i dont think im going to, im pretty sure im going to raise them like mark does being how they are his babies.


no offence taken mate we are all here to help,learn and debate with each other.i would not have it any other way.

all the stuff i read indicated that most of the early diamond deaths in the early days of captivity was a result of keeping them like carpets that being way too hot.

re cooling cycle i have read that it may be a factor in diamond python syndrome if you do not cool your diamonds.nothing has been 100% prooved but this is my way of doing things.my diamond is lean muscular and healthy so if its not broke then dont try and fix it imo.

in the wild diamonds have been known to survive near freezing temps with no ill effect.

the reason i cool so cold is if you dont cool enough the harmfull bacteria in your snake remains active and affects the health of the diamond in question.

its better that the snakes metabilisism slows down enough for the bacteria remain dormant during brumation.

it was mainly dr richard shine of australian universaty i took my info from along with a few other sources.

dont get me wrong im not in any way saying do it my way.im only saying this is the way i choose to do it

with no ill effects on my snake i might add.

yes mark and i have spoke about this in the past.mark does things different and has had great success in his way of doing things.

i will have to wait and see if my method works as my female is only an 08 so is a long way from being bred.2014 will be the first time i try her as i would like her to be 6 year old at the time.

i have friends over here that are trying their females at 5 years of age.i will be able to tell you the results of that after this breeding season.

they all cool the same way as i do.


a good book to buy is keeping and breeding australian pythons

for me it was the decider in which methods i used re my diamond

after 2 years worth of reading everything else that was out there on diamonds and diamond husbandry.

im sure there is a few ways to successfully do this its a personal choice in what you do mate.

all the best shaun

[Freebody]

ya i have read pretty much the same pro and cons for both sides of the fence, i was going to chill mine but when mark said he did i figure then no sence me doing it as its seems his stain does well with out the chilling them. i plan to breed my diamonds at 4 yearsif shes a good size then.

[presspirate]

Well, since I HATE the cold, nothing less than 70 degrees F.

[shaunyboy]

ya i have read pretty much the same pro and cons for both sides of the fence, i was going to chill mine but when mark said he did i figure then no sence me doing it as its seems his stain does well with out the chilling them. i plan to breed my diamonds at 4 yearsif shes a good size then.


imo you will be surprized at how slow your diamonds grow compaired to any other carpet out there.

my 08 female is tiny compaired to any of the rest of my 08 carpets

im thinking at least 5 years but most likely 6 years before she breeds.

i only feed 8 months of the year re my diamond

she gets a proper sized food item in proportion to her size

but she is by far the slowest growing snake i have ever come across

i am not in anyway suggesting your about to power feed

but folk who have usually have their diamonds dropping dead on them round about the 4 to 6 year mark.

remember a fat diamond is a dead diamond...!!

cheers shaun