rainbow boa and shedding

[dannybgoode]

Originally Posted by bigsnakegirl785

There is no need for a night drop, it may be getting too cold at night. Try keeping it 25.5-27 throughout the day and see if that helps. Maybe include a hot spot of 26.6-29.4C if you can. This can be achieved with a heat pad, which would be the surface of the enclosure right above where the heat pad is, or by measuring the floor temp under an ambient heater.

And yes, snakes will shed regardless of if they're eating or not. They may shed less often if they continually go off of food, but snakes have to shed old skin just as we do. They don't necessarily shed because they're growing, my adults shed just as often as my babies do, and sometimes my babies don't shed for awhile even if they've grown a lot (this is across all species that I currently own). They pretty much shed as they want. lol

I actually think there's a number of good reasons to drop the temp at night and all my thermostats are programmed to do this.

Primarily it mimics the natural environment and there's research to show a snakes metabolism and digestion is specifically adapted for a drop in temperature. Their cicardian rhythms are turned to temperature fluctuations also.

Finally, leaving the temp high means the snake is running on maximum 24/7. Whilst I don't have any specific evidence reptiles it is well proven that keeping tropical fish toward the upper end of their temperature ranger 24/7 significantly shortens their life and I can see this applying to reptiles.


In short many of the herpetologist I know varies temperature not only day/night but offers entire days and entire nights at different temperatures to the norm provided.

[bigsnakegirl785]

Originally Posted by dannybgoode

I actually think there's a number of good reasons to drop the temp at night and all my thermostats are programmed to do this.

Primarily it mimics the natural environment and there's research to show a snakes metabolism and digestion is specifically adapted for a drop in temperature. Their cicardian rhythms are turned to temperature fluctuations also.

Finally, leaving the temp high means the snake is running on maximum 24/7. Whilst I don't have any specific evidence reptiles it is well proven that keeping tropical fish toward the upper end of their temperature ranger 24/7 significantly shortens their life and I can see this applying to reptiles.


In short many of the herpetologist I know varies temperature not only day/night but offers entire days and entire nights at different temperatures to the norm provided.

Temps will already naturally drop at night by several degrees (sometimes by up to 5+ degrees depending on where you are and if you use a heater at night) without your intervention, I see no reason for any additional temperature drops.

Plus, rainbows are already kept at the absolute coldest they can be kept at on average anyways.