carpet pythons?

i am still on the hunt for the perfect snake for me. a carpet python seems to be one of my favorites but i have a few questions. how big to they get? do they like being handled? can i keep them in 4 by 2 as adults? and who are some breeders that sell good quality carpet pythons for a fair price? if you can answer one or more of these for me that would be a huge help.

Size will depends on locality coastal being the biggest, OK, Jungle, Darwin's being on the smallest end.

As far as breeders it depends if you want to get into undergrads or pure carpets.

Nick Mutton of Inland Reptiles has some of the greatest stocks, and he takes pride into the bloodlines he works with, lineage if you are serious about carpet is definitely very important especially if you plan on breeding.

And yes a 4x2 will work.

I'm more of a boa guy but i know some about carpets. Sizewise, i believe either a Jungle or Irian Jaya are going to be your smallest at around 4-5'. Coastal is going to be your biggest at around 7-9' but can get bigger.

As for handling, babies are going to nippy until a year or 2 old but some will mellow out faster etc. It all depends on the snake itself.

A 4x2 cage would work for a Jungle Carpet but they are more arboreal so you would need at least 2' in height. As for something like a coastal, you could i guess but that would pretty much torture for the snake.

As for quality breeders, only one i know off hand is Nick Mutton at Inland Reptiles.

I have a chance to pick up a pure Coastal Hatchling which is soooo cute and I'm still kind of on the fence as like i said, I'm a boa guy and i only got 2 cages left available atm lol. If you like carpets, go for it. I know a lot of people who love them. Just know that as babies, for the most part, they tend to be defensive and bitey. I did talk to one guy who had a hatchling and after a month of it being defensive, he wore a t-shirt for 2 days with no deodorant or cologne or anything. Then he put it in the carpets cage for a couple days and now his carpet lets him free hand pick it up as a baby.

If you are a FB person join or review the Carpet Python Trading Post. There are some good breeders there, and there are a few not so good, but if you follow along there or on Carpet Python Discussion Board, you'll start figuring it out. Nick Mutton at Inland is outstanding, and the book he co-wrote is worth having.

Some things to be aware of: Jags carry the nuero gene. IJ and JCP are the smaller Carpets, and Coastals the largest. Lineage and genetics are the trend, but morphs are fun, but know the lineage of you so much as have any desire to breed.

4x2x2 is perfect for all but maybe a large coastal. I would start a baby out in something much smaller.

My baby diamond jungle jag has bit me once. I use a hook to bring him out of his cage and he settles. He is starting to just greet me now. My big zebra jag I need to get her out while in hide (it has a removable bottom), hook, or let her come out on her own or she will tag me (not a feed bite, more of a head jab). Once she is out she is a baby.

A 4x2 will work fine for most Carpets.

I felt that my 8 foot Coastal was getting a bit confined in her 4x2x2. Thus, I got her and my 8 foot male which was 7 foot at the time, 6x30"x18" cages.
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I wish that I had got 2 foot in height, but won't go into that. Still, the 6 footers are a huge improvement and work quite well.
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I'm sure that a 4x2x2 will be fine for most Jungles. However, since my 6 foot Jungle girl is such a great display snake, I wanted to give her full advantage with a 4x2x4 which has not disappointed at all.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...22c3088ced.png

It's better than TV at times. And feeding time is enhanced and so much fun. I plan on doing a similar enclosure for my 6 foot male Jungle as well. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...166bd8465d.png


As far as handling, snakes don't like it per se, they just tolerate it and adapt.
My Carpets don't chill out like my Boas or Ball. They are in constant, faster motion, but easily manageable.

Have fun in your quest for one of the best display snakes!
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I beg to differ Reinz. I swear Rosey my biggest boa actually likes to be held. Some days when i open the cage, she will literally climb out and climb up onto my arms and shoulders and sit there lol. Gina isnt big enough yet but when i take her out, she seems to like it too and will just stretch out on me and look around with long tongue flicks. Rango is seeming to start to like it too as when i leave a door open, he is happy to come onto my hand. And finally Luna seems to enjoy outside time. The others seems to really care less and Caesar actually seems to like interaction but he's not particularly enthusiastic about being carried around lol. He LOVES his cage.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

I beg to differ Reinz. I swear Rosey my biggest boa actually likes to be held. Some days when i open the cage, she will literally climb out and climb up onto my arms and shoulders and sit there lol. Gina isnt big enough yet but when i take her out, she seems to like it too and will just stretch out on me and look around with long tongue flicks. Rango is seeming to start to like it too as when i leave a door open, he is happy to come onto my hand. And finally Luna seems to enjoy outside time. The others seems to really care less and Caesar actually seems to like interaction but he's not particularly enthusiastic about being carried around lol. He LOVES his cage.

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Just a question or two, not arguing; do they really want to held, or do they see you as a perch, or method of escape/exploration?

If they don't leave you when given the opportunity, I'll concede. I reckon I should have said, generally snakes don't like to be held. :)

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Originally Posted by Reinz

Just a question or two, not arguing; do they really want to held, or do they see you as a perch, or method of escape/exploration?

If they don't leave you when given the opportunity, I'll concede. I reckon I should have said, generally snakes don't like to be held. :)

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They don't have the capacity to "like" anything its instinct with these guys.

I want my animals to enjoy my company but that's what I want.

In nature these animals have several million years of programmed instincts that don't include "our feelings".

Snakes do their thing and if we are lucky enough to have a snake that clings to us, its great!

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Originally Posted by Reinz

Just a question or two, not arguing; do they really want to held, or do they see you as a perch, or method of escape/exploration?

If they don't leave you when given the opportunity, I'll concede. I reckon I should have said, generally snakes don't like to be held. :)

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Oh I'm sure they see me as a safe tree lol. And if they are inside, they are content to leave me and wander off sometimes. Sometimes not. If they are outside, then no, they prefer to stay on me.

When i took Rosey to the vet, the vet and nurse had a hard time restraining her from trying to get back to me. Finally they conceded and just let her sit on me while the vet did the physical exam. They joked how all my pets 'love dad' as my beardie pooped all over the nurses shoes and exam table and then ran across the table and jumped on me and ran up my shirt and hid under my chin clinging on for dear life lol.

I agree that i dont think snakes 'love' or other human feelings but i do think they have preferences and get used to their owners whether they view them as a safe place or 'enrichment'. But heck, scientists are learning new stuff about reptiles all the time now that they finally are focusing on them. They are no longer viewed as just an 'eating machine'.

Well they do have the capacity to learn from each other. I read a study where they put a bug on one side of a sliding glass door that had a little door the beardie could slide open to get to the other side to eat the bug. They taught the beardie how to do it. They then put in new beardies who had no idea how to do it and just slammed against the glass trying to get the bug. They then put the beardie who knew how to do it in the cage with the others and the others watched him do it and they learned.

There are lots of new things scientists are learning about reptiles that they didnt know. I mean birds are decended from reptiles and they have the capacity to love and form bonds. Why couldnt a reptile. Now I'm not saying my snakes love me so dont get me wrong or think i'm a crackpot but the more scientists finally focus on reptiles and study them extensively, i think them and us will be surprised how much they can tell us.

And with all that said, you still see the Youtube videos of retics trying to coil and eat smart phones and garbage bags of old substrate which then sets up back a few years hahaha.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

Well they do have the capacity to learn from each other. I read a study where they put a bug on one side of a sliding glass door that had a little door the beardie could slide open to get to the other side to eat the bug. They taught the beardie how to do it. They then put in new beardies who had no idea how to do it and just slammed against the glass trying to get the bug. They then put the beardie who knew how to do it in the cage with the others and the others watched him do it and they learned.

There are lots of new things scientists are learning about reptiles that they didnt know. I mean birds are decended from reptiles and they have the capacity to love and form bonds. Why couldnt a reptile. Now I'm not saying my snakes love me so dont get me wrong or think i'm a crackpot but the more scientists finally focus on reptiles and study them extensively, i think them and us will be surprised how much they can tell us.

And with all that said, you still see the Youtube videos of retics trying to coil and eat smart phones and garbage bags of old substrate which then sets up back a few years hahaha.

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Correct, and there are also contradicting studies of the same things. "Love" for birds isn't the same as love for humans. Birds are actually the closest things to dinosaurs in the present day and some birds are not maters for life and the young will kill a sibling to continue their own survival. Nature is real and doesn't come with emotions. Snakes are not mean, they are either defensive or ready to eat. Eating isn't mean, it is a necessity and part of that is something humans view as cruel when it involves the suffering of another animal.

I do think scent recognition and possible keeper recognition is certainly possible and proven to some extent with reptiles, but "like" and "love" are not in the cards for them. Even continued scientific studies show they have a limited and primitive brain and it is all they need. You could give me all of your snakes to keep and outside of the stress of being re-homed and put into different habitats, they would continue to thrive and not miss you in the slightest if I cared for them properly.

It is very easy to place human emotions on animals, but it really doesn't work for them as they don't care. They see things on a different level. Some real eyesight coupled with the infrared heat is used but its not the same as what we see. Humans can't really relate to that. Your facial features mean nothing to your snake. You are not seen that way.

The reason the reptiles of today are still around after millions, MILLIONS, of years has nothing to do with humans. If I lived in the right environment and released my snakes to the wild and I died the next day they'd never miss a beat outside of what nature throws at them.

Anyhow I'm not trying to drudge up an argument, but in all reality my snake, your snake, and anybody else's would not care in the slightest if it was given a new quality home.

The two best first time carpets would be in order of best to last a murray darling or Bredli. They are the least defensive of all the species of carpets. If you want one I know two breeders that have hatchlings. They both get between 5-7 feet on average if fed normally. In my opinion carpets make thebest pet snakes they are super intelligent and curious and once they trust you love to chill and explore. If you need anything just let me know I will be happy to help!

I have one carpet, a male IJ/Jungle Jag. From my experience with him, I'd say that carpets can b e quite defensive (nippy) as babies, but with regular handling, they will learn that you are not a threat and grow out of it. They are active though, at least my guy is very active. He moves constantly when I get him out and is still a little head shy and flighty. Some of his head-shyness may be due to the jag influence (Jags can have neuro problems like spider BPs). his is not bad, but he does tend to move awkwardly at times, especially if startled.

My boy is in a 4x2x18" pvc enclosure. He has a basking shelf and branch to climb on and uses both. I will say that as a display snake, it is hard to beat a carpet, as they will lounge and climb out in the open in daylight... My boas tend to use their hides in the daytime and aren't out as much.

If you are planning on getting a carpet, I would definitly try to handle some in person first...see how fast they tend to move and how active they are. If you are ok with that, then go for it.

IMO a jungle is a great starter.. I was actually looking for a pure jungle when I found my jungle/jag at a show. I would avoid the jag trait if you can because of the possible neuro issues.

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Originally Posted by Reinz

It's better than TV at times. And feeding time is enhanced and so much fun. I plan on doing a similar enclosure for my 6 foot male Jungle as well.

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With most of the garbage on TV these days, even watching BPs hidden in their hides for hours can be better than watching TV, hahahahaha!!!

I'd rather spend the time watching/observing my animals any day :D