Tricks to taming a feisty jungle carpet?

So I picked up a little jungle carpet girl and she is a serious spitfire. She is around a year or a little more and around 3' long. She is mellow in her cage and was exploring all over last night. Well I know its a no no since I just got her yesterday but I couldn't resist and I tried to work with her today. I went in slow and from under her and got her to climb on my hand although she seems to not like to touched really on her back or sides, underneath is ok. Well she was fairly relaxed while sitting on me and crawled around my neck and sat on my arm. My question really is does anyone else who has jungles have the same issue of theirs not really liking to touched on their sides or back like petting? Possibly/probably cause she is new? And she did tag my finger when she made a beeline for the CHE fixture next to her cage and I had to cut her off. Guess a giant hand in front of the face of a new snake will provoke the "oh yeah!? watch this" bite response lol. Luckily she is small and it only drew 2 drops of bloods.

I guess bottom line is how do you guys going about taming a feisty girl? Just give her a week, get her eating well and then just suck it up and let her climb on me until she gets used to it and work on the actual "holding/petting" part? At night when she is on her cruising mode and has her head at the front of the cage, I can touch the glass where her face is and doesn't even respond so shes not like a cage striker. I'm so used to boas and BPs who are more or less "lazy lovers" who couldn't bite lol but this little jungle girl is ready willing and able to bite and isn't afraid to hit 3rd gear for speed lol. Already being kept on my toes and its been 1 day lol. Anyways, thanks all for the help/responses. So far i'm loving her.

I think you've got the right idea Sauzo. Let your carpet settle in have a few meals. Out of my 4 carpets only one was a little nippy and he grew out of it after about a month I'd say. Looking forward to seeing pics of your new critter.

Let her settle in first. After that you just can't be afraid to get bite. My coastal Isabel was a holy terror when I got her. She would strike 2-3 times at every movement and she basically came out of her skin when touched. You just have to handle her. I learned if you touched her while she was looking it seemed to help. Eventually she will most likely realize that biting does nothing and stop for the most part. Isabel went from biting to head butting lol now she for the most part tame.


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Thanks El-Ziggy. Yeah I really need to just go out and buy a dang digital camera. I always say I will and then I end up ordering 3 AP cages with bells and whistles and buying new snakes and now I got another Herpstat on order lol. I'll get a dang camera 1 day lol. Ok so jungles will usually outgrow the nippy/nervous stage then. See I picked up this girl from my local reptile shop that I buy all my snakes food at. The snake came from a friend of the owner who I talked to a lot and she told me the snake was from Inland Reptiles but she didn't know the exact age. She was guessing about a year to 1.5 years old. Its just over 3' and about as thick as my middle finger. She eats hopper mice. I'm thinking she is younger. I mean she looks like a little worm lol.

Also is it normal for them to be like 99% arboreal? At night she comes down and explores all over but day time she likes to perch on her PVC jungle gym I built her half under her CHE. She shifts positions and sometimes semi stretches out on the highest PVC perch or half on a vine and perch but she never uses either of her hides or wants to sit on the ground at all during the day. I mean its only been a day or 2 but she really loves to sit all over the PVC jungle gym lol.

Sauzo- If your girl is 3' and as thick around as your finger she can most likely take larger prey. I'd suggest getting her on rats soon. A carpet 'mouser' can be a pain. All my carpets spend a lot of time perching as opposed to staying on the enclosure floor.

Definitely arboreal. My JCP has a 3' tall AP cage, with a basking shelf, and a PVC and rope jungle gym. He'll use his hides occasionally, but most of the time he's on his shelf or the jungle gym.

He was also a nippy youngster, and even after he was getting better for me, he wasn't as good for others. He's grown up into a pretty good boy, although certainly not as mellow as the BPs. [emoji846]


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Well a good and bad sign atm. I have a rat fuzzie in her cage right now. Good part is she is intently looking at it like she wants to eat it. Bad part is she isn't eating it lol. Its like she doesn't know exactly what it is but she is definitely hungry and I bet if I offered her a mouse, she would eat it. Thing is like El Ziggy said, I really want to get her to rats if for nothing else, it will make life easier for me as I will have all my snakes on rats instead of the one single mouser.

Well after about 6 hours with the fuzzy rat, she didn't eat it. She checked it out quite a few times and definitely was in food mode as she was checking out every move in the cage lol. Guess the rat put her in feed mode but just didn't register with her brain yet. I was told she would only eat live mice and at night. So I guess tomorrow I'll buy a hopper and pre kill it and see if I can get her switched to pre killed as she seems to want to eat. She would slowly lower down off her pvc tree and check the rat out from the top all coiled up haha. Then it was like "wtf is this alien thing!!?" and she would go back up to her perch. Then when the rat moved, she would lower down again and repeat, each time sitting there longer checking it out haha. So then I tried forceps and just put in front of her. She checked it out, grabbed it and dropped it lol. So I tried once more and she got made and just did a defensive quick tag on it so I quit bugging her lol. I really don't want to have to do live mice as I don't want them pissing and pooping all over the aspen in the cage floor. Wish me luck on pre killed working lol.

Got an update! Well good news. She took a F/T small mouse today off tongs and during the day. The gal said she only ate live mice and at night. So while the fuzzy rat attempt was a failure, I hit 2 homeruns so far with eating in the day and eating a F/T after 2 days being here. Funny part is she was just checking the mouse out but I accidently dropped it off the tongs and she snagged it in mid air drop and wrapped it up lol. She's such a spitfire too. You open the cage and she is there to see whats going on.

I'm glad she ate and took the f/t prey for you Sauzo. That's good progress. You're nicer than me. If any of my snakes refuse a meal they have to wait 7-14 days before I offer them food again. Try thawing a small mouse hopper with a rat fuzzy next time. Feed her the mouse hopper first and follow that up with the rat fuzzy. Sometimes they'll take any secondary prey item that you offer when they're still in feeding mode. Once you get her to take rats don't offer anything else until she has a strong imprint with the rats. After that they'll eat anything. My carpets eat mostly rats but I'll give them chicks, mice, and asfs from time tp time.

I have very limited time so I have to keep it short. Try handling with a perch or branch. I used this technique with my coastal female. She was really settling after 3 weeks. Now I can't get a bite from her if I try.

Chicks and quail are another food option. Or scent the rat with avian prey.

Sorry I don't have more time.

My JCP and Bredli are the household garbage garbage disposals now, but were less enthusiastic when they were younger. Your girl may just need a little time.


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Well kind of a little update. Allison(the little carpet) loves food. I was worried because the gal told me she only eats live white mice at night. Well sunday she ate a F/T white mouse. Then Wednesday, she took another F/T white mouse. Well last night she seemed kind of hungry still by doing the hanging thing and looking around so I got her a F/T small grey adult mouse and she took that no problem. So since Friday, she has taken 3 F/T mice from me and she seems to be calming down a little bit. She doesn't got ape poop and try to attack when you get kind of close to her. I was wiping down the front of her cage today and changing her water and stuff and she was just kind of stretched out looking at me. So so far this is looking promising. I'm so used to the "easiness" of boas being so docile and eating anything that all these things happening with the carpet feel like major milestones :D

Hanging in the hunting position is really common, mine will do it even a day after feeding with a nice-sized food lump. [emoji846]


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Sauzo- I'm glad your girl is eating for you. Most carpets have a pretty good feeding response. I have four carpets and only one has refused a meal and that was just one time. I'm not sure how large the mice you use are but three feedings in a week might be a little much. I usually feed my baby carpets every 5 days, yearlings eat every 7-10 days, and after they turn two they eat every 10-14 days. Your carpet will grow fast so you may want to consider getting her on f/t rats sooner than later. The last thing you want is to have to feed an adult carpet 5 or more mice when one rat will do. My coastal eats a 200g large rat every 10-14 days. I wouldn't want to thaw and feed him five (40g) jumbo mice. It'll save you a lot of time and coin to get your carpet on rats.

Yeah I knew 3 was too much but I wanted to let her "enjoy" the first week here. Figure i'll feed her once a week. And yeah now that I know she eats pretty good, i'll probably try to switch her to rats. I was just surprised and relieved because the gal who had her told me she was a picky eater and only ate live white mice at night. Now that I got her eating any mouse any time of the day. I can work on rats and then work on handling.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

Yeah I knew 3 was too much but I wanted to let her "enjoy" the first week here. Figure i'll feed her once a week. And yeah now that I know she eats pretty good, i'll probably try to switch her to rats. I was just surprised and relieved because the gal who had her told me she was a picky eater and only ate live white mice at night. Now that I got her eating any mouse any time of the day. I can work on rats and then work on handling.

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You'll do fine!

I've fed mine 1+ pound rabbits. Carpets can pound a huge meal now and then.

Mine is a terrible eater but after a 2 month break she took two large rats.

You'll probably get another shed soon and yeah you'll be on to rats next.

Keep the rat in the same bag as the mice and see how things fly.

Have fun!

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

I guess bottom line is how do you guys going about taming a feisty girl? Just give her a week, get her eating well and then just suck it up and let her climb on me until she gets used to it and work on the actual "holding/petting" part? At night when she is on her cruising mode and has her head at the front of the cage, I can touch the glass where her face is and doesn't even respond so shes not like a cage striker.

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Working with her a couple times a week ought to do the trick. Mine hatch out chill but by the time they take a meal or two they've morphed into little defensive demons. Most will only bite once or twice before settling down a bit but they do maintain a hair trigger. This generally goes away naturally with age and/or gentle handling sessions. I personally follow the patient approach. Defensive animals don't get handled much at all until they've settled down some on their own. Sometimes it can take a year or two before they're comfortable enough to come out for more than a quick transfer.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

I'm so used to boas and BPs who are more or less "lazy lovers" who couldn't bite .

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I have a little psycho boa that I'd like to introduce you to one day. She definitely qualifies as "or less" in regards to lazy lovers - haha.

Lol yeah I've heard of crazy boas but all the ones I've ran across were so laid back haha. And yeah, Allison is a beast for food now. She ate Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday and now tonight Friday she is zooming in to check out my finger/face through the glass when I look in haha. She flicks the tongue and scans me and I guess realizes I'm not a mouse so she retracts back to her favorite spot on her pvc gym. Think i'm going to try the smallest hairy rat I can get from the reptile shop in a week and see if she will take it without scenting it. looks kind of promising atm since she is on the prowl for food. She wants to eat more often my boas which I didn't believe was possible lol. Such an active little worm, I've been eyeballing adding a Bredli next or maybe an axanthic jag or caramel jag as my next addition down the road once I get Allison her T12. These carpets are kind of addictive.

And they are fun Gio!! So active at night. My boas are pretty lazy lol. Rosey likes to come out and hang out but Vicky is the laziest boa I've ever seen. She only gets excited when she smells rats lol. Other than that, she is so laid back, I can reach in and pet her head and she just flicks the tongue and lays there lol. Funny part is my BP is super active at night too. She uses her shelf for the T10 more than the boas do. She cruises around pretty much all night and stuffs her head between the glass doors and front of the cage. Crazy little BP. But come day time, all you see is her fat butt hanging out of one of her hides. I really need to get her n extra large RBI one as the large RBI is on the small side now lol.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

Lol yeah I've heard of crazy boas but all the ones I've ran across were so laid back haha. And yeah, Allison is a beast for food now. She ate Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday and now tonight Friday she is zooming in to check out my finger/face through the glass when I look in haha. She flicks the tongue and scans me and I guess realizes I'm not a mouse so she retracts back to her favorite spot on her pvc gym. Think i'm going to try the smallest hairy rat I can get from the reptile shop in a week and see if she will take it without scenting it. looks kind of promising atm since she is on the prowl for food. She wants to eat more often my boas which I didn't believe was possible lol. Such an active little worm, I've been eyeballing adding a Bredli next or maybe an axanthic jag or caramel jag as my next addition down the road once I get Allison her T12. These carpets are kind of addictive.

And they are fun Gio!! So active at night. My boas are pretty lazy lol. Rosey likes to come out and hang out but Vicky is the laziest boa I've ever seen. She only gets excited when she smells rats lol. Other than that, she is so laid back, I can reach in and pet her head and she just flicks the tongue and lays there lol. Funny part is my BP is super active at night too. She uses her shelf for the T10 more than the boas do. She cruises around pretty much all night and stuffs her head between the glass doors and front of the cage. Crazy little BP. But come day time, all you see is her fat butt hanging out of one of her hides. I really need to get her n extra large RBI one as the large RBI is on the small side now lol.

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Yes love carpets!

However try letting your boas go longer between meals. Fat and happy = lazy.

My guy (BC) is all over when he starts hunting. It's really good for them to wait long periods.

Carpets,, well they plain entertainment IMO.

Love that you have one.

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Originally Posted by Gio

Yes love carpets!

However try letting your boas go longer between meals. Fat and happy = lazy.

My guy (BC) is all over when he starts hunting. It's really good for them to wait long periods.

Carpets,, well they plain entertainment IMO.

Love that you have one.

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Oh I have gone a month between feedings and it got pretty ugly with Rosey. She goes on a rampage and destroys anything. Pushes her hide around, shoves the water bowl all over and shoves aspen all in it. Pushes on the door of the cage like no tomorrow. Vicky is unphased except the difference between a 2 week feeding and a 1 month feeding is Vicky just coils and flicks the tongue faster lol. She is the most laid back boa I've seen. That's why I usually just do 2-3 week feedings but I feed on the smaller side to offset the frequency. Also what I have noticed is Dottie the BP will eat more consistently if I feed her smaller meals vs larger meals. With small rats, she will pretty much eat like clockwork every week or so but if I feed her medium rats, she might eat the next week or might turn her nose up for the next 2 weeks, 1 month or 2 months.

And yeah, so far Allison is a blast. I actually picked her up last night to try and work a little with her. She didn't try and bite but she was pretty skittish until she got on me. Then she mellowed out and let me pet her body while she looked around and looked up at me lol. Then after about 5 mins, I let her calmly crawl back onto her pvc gym and she started exploring all over lol. Definitely entertaining. Shes also very observant. If I go next to her cage, she will turn her head and look at me and then slowly come over while flicking the tongue to investigate whats going on lol.

Sauzo, welcome to the world of magic Carpets! I'm sure you will love the ride. :)

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Esmarelda on the hunt.

Lol thanks. I think I found the bottom of the bottomless pit in Allison. It was feeding night for everyone except her as she ate Monday but I figured i'd try anyways. Well after eating last sunday, Wednesday, Friday and Monday, she finally refused one tonight lol. She looked at it and seemed like she was thinking about it but I think like 4-5 mice in about 1.5 weeks was her limit on the "enjoyment". Now she goes on the weekly feeding.

With that said, the little dumerils was excited to eat but my god she is lazy. She was out cruising around so I thawed her little hopper mouse and hung it in front of her snoot and she instantly grabbed it but didn't coil it lol. She just laid there and gulped it down. Talk about a lazy snake. Then she sniffed the aspen for a bit and burrowed under to her cool hide and then turned around poked her head out looking around. Such a funny little worm.