cooling non-breeding bps (including hatchlings)

[Bruce Whitehead]

I recently traded a snake with a guy (who i quite respect), and we have been discussing a possible breeding loan for next season, which lead us to talking about cooling, etc...

I barely cool. My temps never go below 78 at the lowest on the cool end, and the lowest the hot end gets is 83 on a bad day.

He cools everything and everyone. With a low at night and a high during the day. And it gets really cool.

But he said that he is simply recreating nature, as in nature babies get cooled along with the adults. Additionally, snakes that are cooled for the first time, often in their first year of breeding, do not take.

But that those snakes that are cooled yearly will often go their first year, or at least you do see a larger aggregate that supports this action-belief...

I would be curious to hear what peoples experiences are with this? I admit it makes perfect sense to me.

I do not cool as I worry about the temp drops and getting a sick snake... but that comes from the fact I am only on my third breeding season, and am still finding that place where I am more comfortable in taking chances and experiementing.

Bruce

PS: I was told once that by not cooling to the lowest temps I would never get good follicular development... last season I had a 10 and an 11 egg clutch.

[SNIKTTIME]

The knock I would have with cooling babies is that they might go off feed and you want to take advantage of the ''off season'' to get them putting weight on. I just posted a pic of my 09 male, less than 2 hours with a female his first time introduced. They locked up quick and I haven't cooled any of my snakes. It seems with BP there are so many different techniques that work it is hard to tell which way is "the best".

[West Coast Jungle]

I guess one could argue both sides of the point. I cool moderately like you Bruce around 76-77 but I also drop the hotspot as well BUT only for my breeders. I know some breeders that turn the heat off completely at night. My young snakes I keep the warm side stable in the low 90's but in the smake room. Now I do see many of them in the morning hanging out on the cool side and they all still feed so its not affecting them too much. After they eat they generally hang out on the warm side.

I guess its what you consider cooling? In the winter the overall temps are gonna drop anyway even if you don't do anything.

Now I have one huge pastel girl 3000+ that has reabsorbed her follicles for the last 2-3 years and not gone. I am trying to cool her more this year and keep the boys coming so we shall see. I did read in the Barkers book that females will reabsorb if they get too warm but then again I have had girls get gravid in the summertime. Ironically this pastel girl came from the Barkers so maybe she has been influenced