Best Diamond Python Care Sheet

[StrictlyMorelia]

Morelia Pythons Community

By Russell Grant - from 'Keeping and Breeding Australian Pythons' by Mike Swann.

[StrictlyMorelia]

Bump for the diamond fanciers

[Alfonzo]

Cheers mate, I'd love a diamond when I'm feeling a bit more flush. Downloaded this caresheet and it is very comprehensive, a nice read even if you don't need it!

[inkyjoe]

Diamond Python Basics
this ones a good one too

[PYTHONMAN]

Originally Posted by StrictlyMorelia

Morelia Pythons Community

By Russell Grant - from 'Keeping and Breeding Australian Pythons' by Mike Swann.

Thanks for putting me on to that site, some excellent info. And another forum to get info. Cheers

[StrictlyMorelia]

Bump for the diamond python lovers!

[shaunyboy]

i changed the months on russel grants chart to follow our seasons my last feed being november.do you do the same mate ?
cheers shaun

[StrictlyMorelia]

My last feed and gut clear is in bang on end Sept / start October and feeding resumes mid April / May.

Even if the male is offered food in Feb / March he shows no interest whatsoever as all he is interested in is cruising for the ladies!

[shaunyboy]

cheers for that.when using russel grants chart i converted the seasons wrong and was out by a month.

ive also just managed to find a document i was sent from a guy on mp that i thought my computer ate.he had already done all the leg work and converted it.(it may have been you who sent me it ?)

cheers shaun

[StrictlyMorelia]

For those unable to open the link as not a member of the morelia forum!


Diamond Python
Morelia spilota spilota
(Lacepede, 1804)
Russell Grant
This attractive python has a dark grey to black body with most of the scales bearing a cream
or yellow spot. Some of these are arranged roughly in diamond shaped blotches.
The underside is cream to yellow. The Diamond Python is a medium sized python attaining
an average length of 2.5 to 3.0 meters (8 to 10 feet). They occur along the south eastern coastline of
Australia from mid northern New South Wales (where they naturally intergrade with the Coastal
Carpet Python Morelia spilota mcdowelli) to the far eastern tip of Victoria, east of the Great
Dividing Range. They are found further south than any other python species in the world. The
climate in this region is temperate with four definite seasons rather than a tropical climate,
consisting of a wet and dry season. Mid winter days are usually mild with temperatures averaging
between 15 degrees Celsius to 20 degrees Celsius maximum and occasional nights with
temperatures below freezing. Covering this whole range of weather conditions, some days can be
cold, overcast and rainy while others clear and sunny. This allows the pythons an opportunity to
emerge from cover and bask to raise their body temperature above the air temperature. The mid
summer period has warm to hot days when the temperature can sometimes exceed 35 degrees
Celsius. The region also experiences some storms at this time of year and has a higher monthly
rainfall than wintertime. This python does not enter hibernation and has evolved a different set of
behaviors compared to other pythons to survive in conditions with such broad temperature ranges.
The Diamond Python is recorded frequenting dry woodland, forests and rocky outcrops. It is
also known to use human altered habitat as well, such as house rooves, barns and gardens over
wintering, feeding and nesting. They are noted as being a reasonably inactive snake and their
cryptic colouration is suited to their mostly nocturnal lifestyle. This species, while occurring near
large populations of humans is not often encountered.
Female adult Diamond Pythons weigh approximately 4 to 6 kg. Male Diamond Pythons are
usually smaller in length and weight. This size difference is probably a factor relating to their
reproductive behaviour. Male Diamond Pythons don't combat with each other during breeding as do
all other males of the Carpet Python group. Rather they form breeding aggregations around the
females in the wild, travelling from one female to another during the season. Because other male
Carpet Pythons fight with each other to vie for attention of females, it is advantageous to be larger
in size than your opponent.
Captive Management
Diamond Pythons require different enclosure set ups and environmental maintenance
compared to other Carpet Pythons. They are cool climate pythons that source their heat from solar
radiation during the day. At night they protect themselves from the cold by finding an insulated
retreat where they coil into a ball shape, to reduce surface area and thus slow heat loss. They use
their surrounding environment to it's maximum potential and manage the sometimes, extreme
temperatures the best they can. If the correct conditions are supplied in captivity by simulating
natural conditions, then the animals should not suffer from the infamous "Diamond Python
Syndrome". It is believed this syndrome stems from incorrect captive management leading to
certain physiological breakdowns. It is thought to be a similar situation to captive dragon lizards
kept indoors away from natural sunlight without the right heating & lighting whereby developing
metabolic bone disease or maybe "Bearded Dragon Syndrome"? Metabolic bone disease is caused
through a lack of exposure to ultra violet B rays, which triggers vitamin D production. Vitamin D is
essential to aid in the absorption of calcium. Broad spectrum fluorescent tubes may assist in
preventing this condition.
I am lucky enough to live in the cool, temperate climate of Victoria in southern Australia,
which makes keeping Diamond Pythons indoors easy, but "Diamonds" can be kept anywhere as
long as the conditions meet their basic requirements. They would be more difficult to maintain long
term in hot tropical climates, requiring the surrounding ambient air temperature to be cooled (air
conditioned) before supplying a warm basking area in the enclosure. I maintain my adult
"Diamonds" separately except for breeding introductions, to reduce possible injuries during feeding
times. They become highly alert and excited at the smell of any food item in the room and have
even occasionally attacked their keeper by mistake. It's a good idea to use feeding tongs when
introducing prey items to their enclosures. I have never been bitten through aggression, as they are
normally very placid.
An adult specimen doesn't require a huge enclosure, as they are mainly ambush predators in
the wild, not active hunters. I would recommend an enclosure size of approximately 1200mm
length x 600mm wide x 600 to 900mm high (4 feet long x 2 wide x 2 to 3 high.
The length and width can vary but the height should not be less then 600mm (2 foot), so the snake
can move to the floor of the enclosure if it feels too warm when the heat lamps are operating. A well
adjusted captive Diamond Python would also thrive in a large display vivarium, as the whole
enclosure doesn't require heating. However it would need a designated basking area and insulated
retreat area. My enclosures measure 850mm x 800mm x 750mm and are constructed of 16mm
white melamine with sliding glass front doors. I have fitted three large air vents into the front and
rear enclosure walls at different heights to provide good air flow. These are important because when
the timers turn off the heating, the temperatures inside the enclosure become the same as the
ambient air temperature. This reduces air flow that can cause excessive bacterial growth without
the extra ventilation. My enclosures are placed on the floor of the reptile room where the ambient
air temperature is coolest. If you live in a warmer climate than which Diamond Pythons naturally
occur (i.e., subtropical) you could increase the ventilation, even using an open wire/mesh type
enclosure. However I still recommend you still use the same type of heating, lighting and insulated
hides as I would use in the cooler climates as Diamond Pythons really enjoy their basking site.
Heating consists of a thermostatically controlled 60W reflector lamp mounted down from the roof
of the enclosure shining onto a platform or branch used for the snakes for basking. This lamp should
be located at one side or end of the enclosure about 300mm (1 foot) above the basking site. Multiple
lamps could be used if the enclosure is very large thus enabling the python to stretch out while
basking, as they would do in the wild. I fit elevated hide boxes screwed into the enclosure wall
which doubles as a basking platform and imitates a rock outcrop or ledge a python would use in the
wild. A thermostat is mounted to the rear enclosure wall between the heat lamps and air vent to
control and prevent excessive heat build up. Always use a thermometer to measure temperatures at
the basking site. not just the thermostat which is used to switch the heat source on and off at the
selected temperature. The thermostat should not be fitted to close or directly under the basking
lamps. Do not use plain or coloured incandescent globes to heat the air, as they provide no infrared
radiation. I have found infrared radiation to be the best type of heat supply for Diamond Pythons.
However I don't use the ceramic type infrared lamps, as they don't produce any light, which is
unnatural for Diamond Pythons. When the sun rises after a cold night, a wild Diamond Python
emerges from it's hide to bask for an hour or two to raise it's body temperature. It then retreats to
coil up undercover until nightfall. They conserve body heat by reducing surface area, insulating
themselves in hides and receiving radiant heat from rock faces, road surfaces, house rooves, etc.
The reflector (basking) lamps push out energy in the infrared wavelength and heat the python
without heating the surrounding air much. The also provide the necessary light to indicate to the
python that they have come on and it's time to emerge from the hide area and heat up. Thus
whatever basks under them heats rapidly, especially a large dark coloured snake that easily absorbs
radiation. A wild Diamond Python uses solar radiation to thermo regulate it's body heat regardless
of the surrounding air temperature. They usually spend about an hour or two basking in the
morning, generally reaching their maximum body temperature between 10:00 am and midday.
Next to the basking lamps, I fit a 600mm (2 foot) fluorescent fitting with a UV natural light
output tube. I believe even if the UV is of little benefit it will do no harm to a sun loving python and
the natural light is more realistic and better for viewing such spectacular looking pythons as they
bask. It's best to use the same quality UV tube made for other basking reptiles such as Dragon and
Monitor type lizards. I replace my UV tubes every spring as the output in the beneficial
wavelengths deteriorate over 12 months. The Ballast in the fluorescent unit does dissipate heat,
which is another reason to keep the height of the enclosure over 600mm (2 foot). It's a good idea to
have an air vent up high on the wall to allow heated air to flow out and cooler air to be drawn in
through the lower air vents. If the ambient air temperature of your room gets higher than 30 deg C
in summer, it may pay to leave the fluorescent light off.
Diamond Pythons can handle high temperatures (35 deg C +) but not for extended periods of
time. The higher the temperature becomes the more damaged the snake will be. My animals have
experienced 36 deg C throughout their enclosures during hot periods, but this only lasts a few hours
of the afternoon. It is important not to feed your Diamonds in high temperatures as the food could
decay in the gut. The snake's metabolism is controlled by temperature, so the higher it's body
temperature the more energy it will use. This is why Diamond Pythons spend quite a bit of time just
staying cool to conserve energy reserves. When they have eaten they spend more time basking to
absorb the energy needed to digest their prey. They have a higher preferred body temperature when
digesting food, being between 32 deg C and 35 deg C. If the temperature gets much higher and the
python cannot move to a cooler area, you could have problems. I would not advise putting your
Diamond Python enclosures in an unprotected tin shed, in the middle of your back yard during the
summer months, as they won't be able to escape from the excessive heat build up. It's also not good
practice to keep Diamond Pythons indoors without providing simulated natural sunlight, even if you
live in an area where they occur naturally.
Because I use separate timers with both the heat lamps and fluorescent tubes, I can control
the heating and lighting to follow natural cycles. During the warmer months I give the snakes about
four hours maximum basking time using the spot lamps. This is from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm and
ensuring the temperature reaches 32 to 35 deg C in the area the snake can bask. The remainder of
their enclosure remains close to ambient air temperature. The fluorescent units are switched on for
approx. 8 to 10 hours during spring, summer and autumn, and the reptile room has lighting, which
follows the natural daylight hours of Melbourne, Australia. There is no point using the fluorescent
tubes for 12 to 14 hours, as sunshine hours are usually less than day length where Diamond Pythons
occur. The times chosen for heating and lighting are not an exact science but should follow a trend
to match different seasons. I believe it's beneficial to vary these periods occasionally within seasons,
just as natural weather patterns aren't constant.
If the enclosures are located where they get cold overnight (below 15 deg C) during the time
of year when you are feeding, it would be prudent to fit heat pads under the floor of each enclosure.
It only needs to be about the size of a coiled snake in area and placed under a corner of the
enclosure, so the heat rises through to warm the python's underside. In this situation I position the
hide box above the heat pad which the snake fits in snugly and can insulate itself to maintain it's
body heat and digest it's meal. This imitates the sun heating a rock face during the day, which then
radiates it's heat overnight. I have handled my Diamond Pythons at 10:00 pm after removing them
from their hides and they are still warm to touch, even though the ambient air temperature is 10 deg
C or less. Because my adult Diamond Pythons are only ever fed during the warmer months, I have
had no problems relating to undigested food.
It is vitally important to observe your pythons, using their enclosure during different periods,
without disturbing them. It will help you make adjustments to temperature, lighting, ventilation,
hide boxes and give you an understanding of how the animal operates in it's captive environment.
Adult Diamond Pythons feed mainly on mammals and birds in the wild. Because they hunt
using nocturnal ambush techniques, mammals would presumably make up the larger percentage. I
feed my adults only laboratory rats and rabbits with twice yearly supplements of vitamins in
capsules inserted inside the prey animal. The animals are fed heavily during the summer months
and early autumn only. They sometimes will feed in between breeding trials in spring but this is not
important as they are very energy efficient and hardly lose any weight over winter. The prey item
should be large enough to leave an obvious bulge in the stomach. This is especially so in breeding
females which need to put on condition after egg laying each season, if you hope to breed them the
following year. I feed about twice per month and use large prey with the adult female pythons
accepting rabbits weighing 1 kg in weight. These are good for putting condition back onto females
after egg laying, as the large prey provides a lot more energy (kilojoules) compared with the energy
used to digest it. The males don't tend to feed as heavily as the females and if you limit them to
being fed during the four warmest months of the year, they will eat most foods offered. The animals
don't need a regular feeding schedule, i.e., once a week, as this just doesn't occur in nature and
could be detrimental to their long term health if fed year round.
I always use fresh killed or frozen thawed food and don't recommend feeding live prey as it
can cause injuries to the snake and possible stress to the prey animal.
Prior to breeding trials I cease feeding the adults usually about mid April and make sure they
have passed all remaining food in the gut. This is very important as an inactive animal with a slow
metabolism, living in a warm, dry and well ventilated enclosure is more likely to suffer from
constipation. When handling the snake, use your fingers to feel the ventral posterior region for any
hardened faeces near the vent. If found, try some extra exercise like crawling in the backyard for 30
mins, or soaking in warm water for a few hours. Feeding a small prey item with 4 to 5 ml of
paraffin oil injected inside can also be useful. It's a good idea to keep dated records of feeding,
sloughing, defecating, mating and unusual behaviour to refer back to if problems arise.
Breeding
Sex determination is by cloacal probe with females probing to a depth of 4 to 5
subclaudal scales and males to a depth of more than 10 subclaudal scales. Both sexes with well
developed cloacal spurs though males are larger.
(Barker and Barker 1994)
Breeding most species of seasonal animals requires following a procedure on an annual
cycle and Diamond Pythons are no different. I cycle my animal's temperature and lighting on a
yearly basis, with a morning basking sunny period, daylight period and night time cool off every
day and vary the conditions depending upon the season.
It is impossible to give accurate temperature ranges and periods to induce breeding, because
natural seasons vary in intensity. Also conditions and the way the animals make use of their
surroundings vary enormously. These things can all play a part as does the area where specimens
are kept. Because I live in a climate similar to a Diamond Python's natural habitat, though just a bit
cooler, it makes it easier for me to replicate the seasons indoors and hopefully get a good fertile
breeding result.
Leading into autumn I reduce the fluorescent lighting hours gradually, until they match the
basking hours. By late autumn the ambient room temperature has been naturally dropping also
which is the Diamond Pythons night time low. During winter the fluorescent and basking hours are
varied between 2 and 4 hours and sometimes turned off completely for periods of up to a week. This
simulates clouded, rainy and cold periods in the wild. The length of the shut down doesn't need to
follow any strict formula just as climates often don't. It is important not to actually hibernate
Diamond Pythons, as in the wild they emerge to bask during the winter months for short periods.
Ofter they bask for an hour during sunny weather and then retreat to an insulated and protected
hide. They do this in order to synthesise antibodies and prevent infections. It is not intended to
increase their metabolism, which may use up valuable fat stores whilst not feeding. The basking
light always remains set at the same temperature being at least 30 deg C minimum, regardless of
which season it is. I just vary the timer period, as a Diamond Python's body temperature in the wild
is not related to air temperature. They are extremely efficient at absorbing infrared solar radiation
on sunny winter days. The heat pad under the enclosure is turned off during this period, reducing
the night time low. Enclosure air temperature during winter falls to occasional lows of 5 deg C,
before the timer turns on the heat lamps each morning. This low temperature is the same as
whatever the reptile room temperature drops to during the night. Make sure hide boxes are built
small enough to ensure the snake fits tightly. They need to be constructed of well insulated material
such as wood or terracotta, not plastic or cardboard.
Diamond Python Annual Calendar
Month Activity Heat/Lighting
January Feeding 4 Hour Bask/8 Hour UV
February Feeding 4 Hour Bask/8 Hour UV
March Feeding 4 Hour Bask/8 Hour UV
April Last Feed/Clear Gut 4 Hour Bask/6 Hour UV
May No Feeding 2 & 4 Hour Bask/UV at Same
& Cold NTL
June No Feeding 2 Hour Bask/UV & Cold NTL
Few Days No Bask/UV
July No Feeding 2 Hour Bask/UV & Cold NTL
1 Week No Bask/UV
August No Feeding 2 & 4 Hour Bask/UV Cold NTL
September Intro Males For Breeding 4 Hour Bask/8 Hour UV
October Continue Intro Males 4 Hour Bask/8 Hour UV
November Females Ovulating/Males
Feeding
4 Hour Bask/8 Hour UV
Possible Heat Pad 20 Deg C
December Egg Laying & Feeding 4 Hour Bask/8 Hour UV
*NTL = night time low