Diamond not eating

Hey guys

I'm new here. My names Rizwan. It's nice to meet you all. I'm looking forward to all the knowledge I will receive from you all!

I have a problem and I would like your help.
I bought a diamond on the 22/2/14 from nsw I believe. She has not eaten since. I have tried rats, mice, rabbits and even a live mouse (which I am so against). She was being kept outside in an aviary and now she is being kept inside an enclosure. She is about 4-5 years old I think and 6ft. I really need your help, she has an amazing temperament and I don't want to lose her I love her.

HE: 28-30
CE: 22-23

Hi Rizwan. Sounds very much like a husbandry problem, and most likely related to temperature, the most common source of feeding problems for python keepers. You'll need to give us a few more details about the enclosure and the temps. Despite Diamonds generally enjoying a cooler environment than other species, it may be that your temps are too low - you could add another 3-4 degrees to the basking site and see how you go. Diamonds bask in the mornings, even on sunny winters days, and late afternoons in warmer weather, so although they live in generally cooler climates, their temps can peak to quite high levels at these times, after which they retreat and curl up tightly to conserve that heat as the environment cools.

See how you go if you increase the temps at the basking spot - the response may be immediate or it may take a few days.

Jamie

Thank you for the reply !
I'm hoping it's a husbandry problem haha.

So you think I should make the basking spot 32-34?

Yep. Increase temps see how he goes with feeding for a week.

Okay thanks. I've raised it

29-30 Degrees in The Basking Spot for a Diamond, Definitely no higher, avoid temps of 32-34 as previously stated, They come from a colder climate and will not adapt well to higher temps, Try feeding a quail, my diamond wouldn't feed on rats but went straight for a quail when offered and now takes both with ease

hope it all goes well

I believe [MENTION=16366]Snowman[/MENTION] knows the answer to the question of basking spot temperature for diamonds

Jamie knows what he's talking about. Listen to his advice.

George.

bdav70 said:

I believe @Snowman knows the answer to the question of basking spot temperature for diamonds

Click to expand...

Jamie nailed it... I don't have any experience with diamonds. Friends keep em, but I'm in WA so don't have the pleasure.

ben_smith2000 said:

29-30 Degrees in The Basking Spot for a Diamond, Definitely no higher, avoid temps of 32-34 as previously stated, They come from a colder climate and will not adapt well to higher temps, Try feeding a quail, my diamond wouldn't feed on rats but went straight for a quail when offered and now takes both with ease

hope it all goes well

Click to expand...

A basking spot around the temps I suggested is perfectly OK for a Diamond - it's a basking spot, so should have only localised influence on enclosure temps. The snake will move away into a cooler zone once it has achieved optimal temps. Despite coming from the cooler lower latitudes, Diamonds do experience extremes of temps, sometimes it can be VERY hot in their natural habitat in summer, and I'm not suggesting that the entire enclosure be heated to that temp over long periods. I believe winter cooling is important for these animals however - especially adult snakes.

Jamie

Winter cooling? Turning the heat down to what temp in winter?
Do you guys use a thermostat or just a heat light and figure out the wattage?

Winter cooling is best achieved by reducing the number of hours heating is available to your snakes (ie. from 12 hours per day during the warmer months to 8 hours per day during the cooler months at 1 hour reduction each week and then reversing that process back into the warmer months). The hot spot temperature remains the same.

As Jamie suggests, non-feeding is temperature related in the vast majority of cases. Listen to his advice.

Wing_Nut

Yep, I reckon Wing_Nut's on the money. Just reduce the number of hours that heat is available to 6-8 hours during the winter months. A very important note however - DO NOT handle or interfere with the snake at this time, especially when it is cold, or you risk the development of a respiratory infection. They must find a pattern of behaviour and movement that suits them at this time when their immune system is working less efficiently - if you interfere with that routine it may never settle effectively during the cooler months.

Jamie

I will make a new topic in the future asking for help on this haha

It sounds like you guys aren't using thermostats?

You can get away without using a thermostat in some circumstances, but it's probably not wise if you're not around most of the time. Firstly, you should use a heat source wattage that provides just enough heat to get to the temps you want. If you have too much wattage, especially if you don't use a thermostat, you'll kill your snake on an extreme day, or if the thermostat fails (which isn't uncommon...). Many keepers have lost animals by underestimating the temps on a heatwave day and coming home to disaster later in the day. My advice would always be during heatwaves to turn all heat sources off in the morning, to prevent accidents happening. Too much heat will kill your animal much faster (a couple of hours is enough) than being too cool.

Jamie

Pythoninfinite said:

You can get away without using a thermostat in some circumstances, but it's probably not wise if you're not around most of the time. Firstly, you should use a heat source wattage that provides just enough heat to get to the temps you want. If you have too much wattage, especially if you don't use a thermostat, you'll kill your snake on an extreme day, or if the thermostat fails (which isn't uncommon...). Many keepers have lost animals by underestimating the temps on a heatwave day and coming home to disaster later in the day. My advice would always be during heatwaves to turn all heat sources off in the morning, to prevent accidents happening. Too much heat will kill your animal much faster (a couple of hours is enough) than being too cool.

Jamie

Click to expand...

Yeah I do understand that. My cbd's aren't on thermostats so I roughly know what wattage will get me. Their heat goes off completely at night and turns on at 6am. Should I do something similar with my snakes?

Oh also she didn't eat after I turned the heat up. Is there anything else I can try.