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Contsant VS Gradient Temps
There's always been a debate in "recreating natural environment" vs providing constant heat. While hobby enthusiasts experiment with each of those options, most beginner keepers are advised to create a heat gradient with "hot" and "cool" spots. However, breeders (especially large scale breeders) will heat a room or building to the desired temperature with relative success.
I found an interesting study that touches on this subject with rattle snakes below:
https://jeb.biologists.org/content/222/22/jeb208645
If you're TLTR kinda person, you can probably read the introduction and discussion portion of the experiment and get the gist. I also posted the discussion portion of the experiment that I found interesting:
"Changes from fluctuating to constant temperatures do not seem to cause the stress response in C. durissus under the experimental conditions used in this study. In this sense, it is possible that the constant temperature used (30°C) was close to the optimal for this species and, perhaps, exposure to the constant regime at lower or higher temperatures could have resulted in a stress response (see Dupoué et al., 2013; Jessop et al., 2016). In contrast, the transition from a constant thermal regime to a fluctuating thermal regime increased plasma CORT levels in rattlesnakes. We suggest that this response might be related to the departure from the snake's preferred body temperature under the fluctuating thermal regime."
Just like providing a constant food source that our BPs expect on a specific schedule (to the point where they stick their head out on feeding day), can providing constant temperature eliminate "anxiety" for BPs?
0.1 Reg. BP Het. Albino (Faye),
1.0 Albino BP (Henry),
0.1 Pastave BP Het. Pied (Kira)
1.0 Pied BP (Sam)
1.0 Bumble Bee BP (Izzy)
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The Following User Says Thank You to Mr. Misha For This Useful Post:
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The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Trinityblood For This Useful Post:
EL-Ziggy (08-04-2020),Mr. Misha (08-04-2020)
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Absolutely agree that this study obviously can't be fully attributed to BPs but I believe that it's relatable.
In regards to the temps, looks like they tested a gradience of 77-95F degrees and a constant temp of 86F. I guess what I'm wondering is what is the "ideal" temperature for BPs (if one even exists). Or as you have stated, is there a healthy amount of stress that is received from the temperature change.
For my BPs it seems like a constant temp has been ideal, but this is just based on their willingness to eat, which is not much of a scientific process. With that said, one of my girls does goes off feed for 5-7 months in fall through beginning of spring, annually, but that's been going on for a few years now.
Last edited by Mr. Misha; 08-04-2020 at 03:56 PM.
0.1 Reg. BP Het. Albino (Faye),
1.0 Albino BP (Henry),
0.1 Pastave BP Het. Pied (Kira)
1.0 Pied BP (Sam)
1.0 Bumble Bee BP (Izzy)
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