Care Sheet - Carpet Python
Care Sheet - Carpet Python
Care Sheet - Carpet Python
As with most partially arboreal snakes, carpets can be a little highly strung.
When young, carpet pythons are highly sensitive to potential threats. Or in other
words you may get bitten a few times when the animal is young. As time passes,
you will learn to read the snakes reaction to you and it will learn that you are
not a threat. Translation, you will not get bitten as often!!!!
Lifespan
Carpet pythons typically live to be between 20 and 30 years old in captivity.
Captive Care
Carpet pythons are readily available as domestically bred snakes and are easy to
care for. Most subspecies are of a moderate size which makes them more
desirable than larger species (i.e. Burmese pythons, reticulated pythons...).
Since they are more highly strung than other species, they are definitely not the
best choice for beginner keepers or young children.
Diet
Hatchlings and juveniles - pink/ fuzzy mice, and pink/fuzzy rats every 5-7 days;
Adults - large rodents such as rats every 10 days.
Temperature
25 to 30 C (75-85 F)
Space Requirements
An adult Carpet Python can be housed properly if kept in a vivarium with
adequate vertical climbing space. A 4x4x2 vivarium is suitable for smaller
species (ex: Jungle Carpets), but a 6x4x2 is better for larger subspecies (ex:
Coastal Carpets). Young carpets can be housed in a 15 to 35 gallon terrarium for
the first year or so.
Breeding
Carpet pythons generally reach sexual maturity at 2.5 to 3 years of age and can
produce a clutch of eggs in a captive environment. Winter cooling is not
absolutely necessary to induce breeding if the animals are kept in the low 80s
throughout the year. Instead, it seems it is more important to have multiple
males to induce combat behaviour which in turn stimulates copulation. Typically
the eggs take between 49-72 days to incubate with a temperature between 90F
and 92F.
Special Requirements
Daily misting is always a good way to increase humidity for the more tropical
species such as the Jungle Carpet. An elevated hide spot such as a round piece
of cork bark provides a good sense of security. The possibility of excessive
handling and not enough arboreal climbing space (to provide the animal with a
sense of security) are two factors to think about if your snake goes off food.
However, if kept properly, carpet pythons tend to be a hardy snake.
John Gamesby