To cool or not to cool...that is the question!

I'd love to know how many breeders cool before breeding, and how many don't. Do you think it's required? Have you had better results doing one over the other?

I cool for breeding. I drop my room temp a degree every other day until I hit 76 and keep it there. no up and down. the hot spot around 85. this works great for me

I never do. I keep a hot spot around 88-94. They either breed or don't. I believe they'll do there thing when ready whether hot or cool.

I used to and now I don't...Same results both ways.

50/50 split so far on the poll. Anyone else want to chime in? Is there an actual reason that you must cool, other than mimicking their environment?

Cooling is pulling ahead...Anyone else? :)

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...r-ball-pythons

lots of replies in this thread. And, it isn't very old either.

I don't cool. I let the ambient temps drop, but keep the heat tape the same. I heat my snake room to 70-75 in the winter depending on how cold it is outside (my space heater isn't that great). During the summer my snake room runs between 80-85. I bred four girls last year, three of which were virgins, and they all went for me.

I have tried a few things from maintaining a cool end of 76/78 to cool down my hot spot to 80 days and night, to not cooling, to now doing what I do which seems to work for my animals.

They have a cool spot that varies from 76 to 78 their hot spot is about 88 during the day and 78/80 at night (I use a herpstat ND so the night drop is done automatically each day)

Works for me and my animals :gj:

Again it's all about finding what works for your animals.

I don't cool. I mimic their environment EXACTLY: Captivity. Yep, captivity has been their environment from the day they hatched, so I mimic it pretty darn exactly.

I think the cooling thing is very much overrated, and unnecessary. But I've only gotten one year breeding under the belt so far. From what I've seen, though, they go when they're ready, and I can't do anything to their environment to force them otherwise. The only thing I can do is make sure their conditions are good, they're well fed/healthy, and they get plenty of opportunity for twisting their tails.