New carpet

[carlson]

Hey everyone I just got a carpet off of Craigslist today I don't know too much about them, I was told its a female and she's a little bit more then 6feet long and not to happy about the change of homes. How would you all suggest getting her used to me so she's not so sketchy about Me I have her in a 4x2 tub right now gonna build a display case for her ASAP tho.

[Daybreaker]

Nice carpet: give her at least a week to settle in then start gradually working with her for short sessions. Good advice I got from the breeder I got my SSTP from is if the snake is acting nervous to not put her away until she's feeling relaxed with you. And always end the handling session in a positive: if she were to strike at you or bite you don't put her away right away, they'll figure it out that that's a way to get out of handling.

[carlson]

Ill keep the putting her away on a positive note in mind, getting her into the tub was a chore she wasn't to happy with me she was striking out left and right my poor dog is so nosey about everything she was lucky to not get bite herself.

[reptileexperts]

Good looking Carpet, appears to be a high % of Coastal in it. Make sure its kept separate from any other snakes in your collection, CL is full of mites and other blood sucking parasites. As far as taking bites, you will still want to avoid a bite from a carpet, their teeth are fairly long and can produce painful bites.

Use a snake hook, if you have one and KNOW how to use it properly, to get her out of the tub. Most of my carpets when they were first angry, would give me hell on one of two occassions, going into the tub (mainly Irian Jaya) or coming out of the tub (Mainly Jungles for me). I started using a hook to either get them out or in depending on when they are grumpy. Ending it on a positive note is wise, but not always logical. If you have a 6 ft carpet that is relentless about biting, do not man it up and take bite after bite after bite, if it's just trying to get away and being flighty, that's one thing. But you don't want to take a serious bite somewhere on the face from one of these guys. After it's settled in for at least a week start your handling sessions and keep them consistent. Keep at it daily!! Limit your time at the start to 10-20 minutes. And avoid handling her after her first feeding for a good 2-3 days just incase stress is an issue.

Number one thing I have about pythons that people do that pisses me off - do not hold it behind the head. They are powerful and have sensitive necks. If the snake is being grumpy, use proper handling techniques to stay in control. This does not include a neck grip!!!

Cheers, and good luck!

[carlson]

She's settling in nicely it seems I'm doing my best to be patient and not mess with her too much yet but she's letting me add things to the tub with out any problems.