It is important to watch your pythons to understand further their needs and wants to keep them healthy. Because setups vary from keeper to keeper, there is no exact formula for setting up any reptile, and it is imperative to take any caresheet with a grain of salt and not try to follow rigorously to a care sheet if the animal is having problems. Keeping reptiles is a fluid process, and may be difficult until you understand the needs of the herp and how you can provide for those needs. There are many different ways to achieve the same end, so think for yourself and figure out how you can provide for the needs of your animals.
Important Natural History Jungles vary in appearance from dull browns, gray, and black to the more sought after vibrant yellow and black animals. A nice jungle is a hard sight to beat. Jungle carpet pythons are part of the Morelia spilotes complex, which can be a big confusing mess when trying to differentiate between subspecies as they are currently classified.
Several studies have been conducted recently using new DNA-based technologies and work is ongoing to classify the carpet complex. Some of these studies suggest that jungle carpet pythons are a nice color and pattern variant of the coastal carpet python Morelia spilotes mcdowelli , and differ very little from these larger carpet types Barker and Barker, Jungle carpet pythons live in the subtropical forests of the Atherton Tableland and have a small range.
Despite their small range, there are several distinct locality types which differ in pattern and appearance, which types are typical for a distinct region within the overall range of the snake. Some of the locality types in Australia include Atherton, Tulley, Palmerston, and other locales.
I made a jungle "type" page to show the diversity of jungle pattern and color. These picture segments were all "lifted" from pictures posted on an Australian forum of pure Australian jungles, and are simply displayed to illustrate the diversity of jungle carpet python pattern and color.
Jungles in the US have had a spotty past, and it is very difficult to be sure that you have a pure jungle carpet. The different subspecies of carpet have been interbred in the early days of carpet breeding, which has cause a lot of confusion for many as to what type of snake they have.
While very few can really say with certainty that their snake is from pure jungle origins, many obvious crosses are touted as pure jungles. Best bet is to find a breeder that has some history on the origins of their snakes. Otherwise, buy a jungle that looks nice and has the typical pattern and structural characteristics of a jungle carpet. Captive Care Jungle carpets are easy to keep happy if their minimal needs are met. When keeping any reptile, a thermal gradient is essential for proper function.
Appropriate hide areas are another important factor when keeping jungles. These two factors may also be combined to allow proper thermoregulation while in secure hidespots. This is done by stacking inverted shallow wooden boxes on top of one another. The boxes should have an entry hole in the side where the snakes can enter. The box should be shallow enough to allow the snakes to feel like they are secure. Stacking the boxes creates a temperature gradient where the top box is directly under a light bulb and the temperature decreases with lower levels.
In the cage pictured, the temperature under the bulb is around F, the first box is around 90 F, the lower box is 85 F and the cage floor is 80 F. This allows the snakes to choose a temperature for a given job. After the snakes have eaten they will generally be found in the upper boxes and move to the lower after digestion is complete.
Giving the snakes the temperatures they need when they need them will provide the pythons with the tools they need for proper growth and development.
Food is provided weekly. My jungles will come partially out of the nest box when hungry and extend their neck in an S-shape position waiting for a meal to pass by. Jungles will often be picky feeders, refusing rats and preferring mice, but if introduced to rats early on, may be converted to the larger food items. Jungles also relish chicks. I feed a few mice a week to each jungle. Small food items are also more easily digested which means that the energy from mice will be more quickly converted to usable energy.
A large water bowl is also provided for water and will also allow for some humidity in the enclosure. Fresh water is given frequently. For some reason, jungle show an aversion to rats, and generally will require that a jungle keeper have plenty of mice on hand. I once had a male that refused food for around 4 months.
He was an adult and started losing weight. He was in a large cage with the female. During cleaning of the cage, I put him in a holding bin that was much too small for his size. In addition, the glass of aquariums can absorb heat over extended periods of time and cause an extensive build up of heat.
Thus aquariums used as terrariums for snakes can have problematic temperature regulation, especially for small sizes. Nowadays there are many good options for caging that are constructed of plastic, polyethylene or PVC and built specifically for snakes. A large number of shapes and sizes are available, but in general these cages have solid, opaque sides, top and bottom, with the front access door made of transparent material such as acrylic plastic or glass.
The door can open either sideways or top to bottom, and this allows easy handling of the snake as well as easy cleaning. Having opaque sides and top seem to offer some security for pythons, and this is especially important for hatchlings. In regard to size, the length of the snake should not be greater than the sum of the length plus width of the cage.
Carpet pythons do not need a lot of height, but are semi-arboreal and prefer some climbing room. For this reason the cage should have at least a shelf they can climb onto or some cage furniture that is off the floor of the cage. Carpet pythons must have a hide box or similar furniture that allows them to completely and tightly crawl under and be hidden from view.
Hatchling carpet pythons do best in smaller, shoebox size cages often in rack systems. One foot of height is probably the minimal needed, because a hide box that is 5 inches high will still allow a space for the pythons to climb on top and have an arboreal perspective.
I believe this helps combat cage stagnation and improves the overall health and breeding fitness of the python. Carpet pythons do not have any specific lighting requirements. Having some form of lighting for the cages will allow for better visualization of the snake and easier examination of the cage for cleaning. Full spectrum lighting such as Exo Terra Solar Glo All in One Reptile Lamp may be beneficial for breeding purposes such as seasonal light cycling, but is not necessary.
A temperature gradient should be provided within the cage so the snake can thermally regulate to either a cooler or warmer side of the cage. A gradient of 72 degrees F for the lower end up to 90 degrees F for the warmer end is optimal. The negative to using ceramic heat emitters is that they cause the air to dry out thus significantly lowering cage humidity. In my opinion radiant heat panels are preferable for larger enclosures, and should be temperature controlled using a thermostat such as the Zilla Terrarium Heat and Humidity Controller or a rheostat.
For practical reasons, flex watt tape or a heat pad mounted underneath is usually used for the smaller cages rack style or individual habitats. This can be accomplished by using a water dish with large surface area in the cage, as well as by occasional misting of the habitat using an Exo Terra Reptile Mister.
Growth rates of individual snakes will vary but you should be increasing the size of the rat according to the size of your snake. You should try not to feed rodents that are larger than your snake is at its widest girth as they can cause digestion issues.
A day feeding schedule is best until your Python reaches a healthy adult size. After this, if you do not intend to breed your Carpet Python, you can feed them every two to four weeks. Just make sure they are maintaining a healthy body weight. Pythons are generally hardy snakes and do not have any specific health issues to look out for. They should always be given proper care and husbandry.
Routine husbandry can help prevent some common issues associated with captive snakes:. Carpet Pythons live for 20 to 30 years in captivity. Carpet Pythons live in a wide range of habitats throughout Australia and the southern tip of Papua New Guinea. These snakes are normally found in savanna and woodland areas.
Because of this, they need a large enclosure. Babies and juveniles can be kept in gallon long terrariums. However, they will not fit in this tank forever and are best kept in six feet long enclosures. You will need to add at least one hide in their enclosure. To make sure they feel secure we recommended having a hide on both the hot and cold side of the cage.
Make sure the hide is large enough for your snake to fit comfortably. If you notice your snake is about to shed then give them a moist hide. The enclosure should have a water bowl for your snake to drink from. This bowl should be monitored and kept clean as needed. Finally, Carpet Pythons especially as juveniles are semi-arboreal. Just newspaper can be used, but your snake will appreciate something natural. Aspen shavings and cypress mulch are two safe and popular substrates.
If you are not buying substrate specifically made for reptiles then make sure it does not have any added chemicals. Spot clean the bedding whenever your Python soils it and replace the bedding completely every two weeks. They are not a threat to humans and are very often encountered in Australia when they approach houses in search of food. Carpet Pythons are nocturnal so they will spend most of the day resting in their hide. A healthy snake will spend time on both sides of the cage.
This will help them regulate their temperature. If your snake is spending all of their time on the hot side then their enclosure may be too cold. Similarly if they are spending all of their time on the cold side then their hot spot may be uncomfortably hot. Juveniles can be nippy and head-shy. This means they will quickly pull back if their head touches something — this is normal. Luckily their nips are not painful and Carpet Pythons can be tamed with consistent and proper handling.
You should not handle your snake after feeding as this can cause regurgitation. If your snake is in shed and their eyecaps are blue you should also not attempt to handle.
You should then make sure your snake does not have any foreign parasites or health issues. Make sure it is a healthy weight and does not have any stuck shed. Healthy Carpet Pythons should be active and alert. Extreme aggression can be a sign of stress, but a snake that is extremely lethargic is probably not in the best health either. This species of Python is not usually cheap and neither is their enclosure.
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