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Thread: Carpet handling

  1. #21
    BPnet Senior Member cchardwick's Avatar
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    I saw a jungle carpet at the local pet store and all the employees said that it was puppy dog tame and never struck at anyone, I was amazed because I always heard about people giving them a bad reputation. I think it depends on the snake and how it was raised from a youngster. I find that the younger I get a snake the more I can train him to be easy going (the less baggage they have). The right environment really helps, a solid tub that makes them feel secure, the proper humidity and temps, and especially lots of food to keep them fat and happy.

    I think that handling is good for any snake. I think you have to start with short sessions and really read the snake well and work up to longer sessions. I'm currently working with my SD retic who was a terror when I got him just a few weeks ago. This last session lasted about five minutes, I always keep him close to his tub so that if he wants to run he has a place to retreat. I started with sessions less than 30 seconds, now I'm at about five minutes and he is really chilling out, well for the most part. He still can be a bit nippy at first and pee on me LOL, but I think after a month or two we will move past that. Right now I'm handling 1-2 times per week, usually a couple days after a feeding when his rodent bump has gone away LOL.

    I think if you got a snake right out of the egg and worked a lot with him you could tame any snake out there. I think reading the snake, feeding heavy when very young, and building trust is the key.

    If you get a full size mature snake that's aggressive it will take a lot more work to tame them down and you may never really fully trust that snake. Especially if it's a large snake, the penalty for not reading it properly is a lot greater than with a small snake.

    I'd say find a Jungle carpet that you know is tame.
    Last edited by cchardwick; 02-02-2017 at 02:42 AM.

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  3. #22
    BPnet Lifer Reinz's Avatar
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    Re: Carpet handling

    Quote Originally Posted by Sauzo View Post
    ................... I'd love to have one but that's just too much snake to handle alone. .....................
    I agree man. I've been dying to get a Burm for years, but I live alone so I don't think I better do it.
    The one thing I found that you can count on about Balls is that they are consistent about their inconsistentcy.

    1.2 Coastal Carpet Pythons
    Mack The Knife, 2013
    Lizzy, 2010
    Etta, 2013
    1.1 Jungle Carpet Pythons
    Esmarelda , 2014
    Sundance, 2012
    2.0 Common BI Boas, Punch, 2005; Butch, age?
    0.1 Normal Ball Python, Elvira, 2001
    0.1 Olive (Aussie) Python, Olivia, 2017

    Please excuse the spelling in my posts. Auto-Correct is my worst enema.

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  5. #23
    Registered User Aste88's Avatar
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    Carpet python are surely different to handle than most other python and you can easily tell they are at least semi-arboreal and part of the morelia genus.

    Out of my three I can get the younger two to strike easily by waving a hand in front of them. They react pretty strongly to being touched, whipping around and sometimes hissing till they get them out of the cage. I'm not sure I'd suggest one as first snake as they could scare off someone with little experience. Sometimes you gotta take a bite.

    That said I'm not sure I agree with them being snake you shouldn't handle too much. Mine sure don't show any handling related stress as a BP might.
    Also three times a week isn't considered handling few times, it actually might be over-handling for some species.

    As for burmese, I just love them. If it wasn't for the size it'd be a great first snake. If you're prepared to get a 4 ft cage you might go for a male, just ask the breeder for a mellow one.
    3.10 ball python(banana spider moj enchi, lavander, spider leopard, dreamsicle, 2 pied, bumblebee, pinstripe, butter pastel, superpastel, pastel, pastave, het dreasmicle)
    1.1 boa c. imperator (albino, hypo)
    1.2 carpet python (zebra, jaguar, jungle)
    2.2 burmese python (hypo, pearl, dwarf hypo, dwarf)
    0.1 brazilian rainbow boa
    1.1 hognose (albino, tiger anaconda)
    1.1 california king (albino, chocolate stripe)
    1.1 mexican black king
    1.1 corn (caramel)
    1.1 honduran milk (albino, hypo)
    0.0.1 green tree python
    0.0.1 argentine tegu

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  7. #24
    BPnet Veteran ShaneSilva's Avatar
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    Re: Carpet handling

    Quote Originally Posted by dkatz4 View Post
    (Shane, we talked about burm stuff a bit on an earlier thread of mine)
    I remember the thread but didn't realize it was you. I'm guessing the wife still hasn't come around to accept the idea of a giant snake in the house huh?
    1.0 purple retic
    0.1 albino green burm
    2.0 bci
    0.1 coastal carpet
    1.0 corn snake
    1.0 Ball python
    1.0 Western hog

    1.0 Alaskan Malamute

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  9. #25
    BPnet Veteran dkatz4's Avatar
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    Wow, yesterday was a banner day for this thread, so much good advice. Where to begin? - regarding Burms - I've been reconsidering them as well, pretty much for the reasons you mentioned, the size (duh). Not only do i tend to handle alone since wifey is not on board, but honestly, i like to handle a lot, like walk around and do small chores or talk on the phone with him on my shoulders. Now my little boa has less weight than a Hawaiian lai so i'm prepared for some more heft, but i think within 2 or 3 years, a burm, even a male would pretty much be a sit-down snake (also, i'm not a very big dude) Cage size is not really an issue, i have a spot picked out that will accommodate 3 ft deep, 3 feet high, and 6 to 9 feet long (I used to do cabinets and furniture, so i'll be building it myself) but dynamic interaction handling sessions are important to me so i fear the burm is out (i winced as i typed that).

    Another option that i know will spark a lot of interest is, of course, an SD/D retic! I am compiling all the threads that many of you here are involved with and/or began over the past few months, reading Cody's stuff and watching his YT videos over and over again. Honestly, i have 3 concerns; in ascending order of gravity they are: 1. Price, they ain't cheap, but i suppose if you shop around long enough a bargain will come along. 2. (Hyper)Activity - i dont want a BP, but i dont want a 10 foot corn snake either - Sauzo, you always preach Cesar's chill, but it seems like the general consensus is that they are movers But that might not be the worst thing in the world, every one who has one seems to declare them their favorite snake, so maybe i'm just projecting my own nervousness. And 3. Maintenance. Remember my only experience is with a boa, the the sheer quantity of food retics need feels overwhelming, to say nothing of the waste! I also hear a lot of concerns about pacing or rubbing or other general reptilian agita, just feels like a high maintenance animal. Now i'm not worried about my ability to take care of that stuff, just whether or not I'll be enjoying myself at the end of the day.

    _oh yeah, and by the way, another boa is still very high on the list - my only qualms are how damn long it takes to grow them up (healthfully) and simple interest in diversity.
    1.0 Central American BI: Irwin
    0.1 Jungle, het snow BI: Gimel
    1.0 green albino, het granite Burm: Dr. Waffles
    1.0 Betta fish: Convertible
    1.1 cats: Tipitina (Tipi) and Professor Longhair (Fess)
    0.1 Egyptian baladi dog: Toasty

  10. #26
    BPnet Senior Member jmcrook's Avatar
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    Carpet handling

    SD retic for sure! Yes they are movers, yes they are a bit more clean up, but I can't speak highly enough of mine. She's gotten pretty chill to handle as she's grown. Doesn't really run or act flighty. Very food oriented but a tap with a hook or roll of paper towels and slow but confident approach and she's like a puppy dog once out of the cage. Very inquisitive critter always checking out everything in the room and my every movement when she's awake and in her enclosure.
    Having said that, I still would like to have a carpet python some day haha


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by jmcrook; 02-04-2017 at 01:21 AM.

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  12. #27
    BPnet Lifer Sauzo's Avatar
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    Re: Carpet handling

    Quote Originally Posted by dkatz4 View Post
    Wow, yesterday was a banner day for this thread, so much good advice. Where to begin? - regarding Burms - I've been reconsidering them as well, pretty much for the reasons you mentioned, the size (duh). Not only do i tend to handle alone since wifey is not on board, but honestly, i like to handle a lot, like walk around and do small chores or talk on the phone with him on my shoulders. Now my little boa has less weight than a Hawaiian lai so i'm prepared for some more heft, but i think within 2 or 3 years, a burm, even a male would pretty much be a sit-down snake (also, i'm not a very big dude) Cage size is not really an issue, i have a spot picked out that will accommodate 3 ft deep, 3 feet high, and 6 to 9 feet long (I used to do cabinets and furniture, so i'll be building it myself) but dynamic interaction handling sessions are important to me so i fear the burm is out (i winced as i typed that).

    Another option that i know will spark a lot of interest is, of course, an SD/D retic! I am compiling all the threads that many of you here are involved with and/or began over the past few months, reading Cody's stuff and watching his YT videos over and over again. Honestly, i have 3 concerns; in ascending order of gravity they are: 1. Price, they ain't cheap, but i suppose if you shop around long enough a bargain will come along. 2. (Hyper)Activity - i dont want a BP, but i dont want a 10 foot corn snake either - Sauzo, you always preach Cesar's chill, but it seems like the general consensus is that they are movers But that might not be the worst thing in the world, every one who has one seems to declare them their favorite snake, so maybe i'm just projecting my own nervousness. And 3. Maintenance. Remember my only experience is with a boa, the the sheer quantity of food retics need feels overwhelming, to say nothing of the waste! I also hear a lot of concerns about pacing or rubbing or other general reptilian agita, just feels like a high maintenance animal. Now i'm not worried about my ability to take care of that stuff, just whether or not I'll be enjoying myself at the end of the day.

    _oh yeah, and by the way, another boa is still very high on the list - my only qualms are how damn long it takes to grow them up (healthfully) and simple interest in diversity.
    Caesar has different moods. Some days, he is a lounger who will just curl u on me. Other days, he is a spazz and will crawl all over me and hang down looking at the floor and stuff. Retics have different personalities at different times so you learn to read them. Caesar has never bit me or tried but you can tell when he is 'cranky' because you go to pick him up or touch him and he twitches and pulls away from you lol. That seems to be his way of saying he doesn't want to come out. I still can take him out but usually in those moods, he will crawl all over me and hang down to get to the floor or stretch out and try to get back in his cage haha.

    Yeah they aren't cheap but on average, you could easily find a nice one for $500 range.

    As for maintenance, Caesar isn't too bad. he seems to have gone out of the food phase for now lol. He still loves to eat but he isn't so driven anymore. Maybe he is getting older now. He doesn't really push much. Like I said, retics are different than boas. They definitely have personality and have good days where they are angels and bad days where they are devils but that's half the fun of them lol.

    I personally think you will enjoy a SD/D retic. I too was worried like you were at first but mostly because of the size and possibly them being 'mean' but Caesar is awesome. Even on his spazz days, he is a blast to have out, so active and always looking at stuff lol. They will literally turn their head to look at you or stuff. I caught Caesar digging in the corner of his cage pushing his gauge around being a brat and when he saw me looking at him, he turned his face and looked up at me hahaha and stopped. Also he seems to know me per say. I mean my boas do too but like sometimes in the morning when I get up, I'll go check on the snakes and the boas are there hanging out and ill look in Caesars cage and he might be in his hide but if he sees me come to the cage, he will come out and come right to the front of the cage and look at me. So interactive.

    I have heard good things of burms too about them being laidback and stuff. The only thing that turns me off from them is the size. If they made a SD/D burm that came in caramel, I would be on that faster than a fat kid on a chocolate cake! But I wouldn't trade Caesar for anything. He is my little spazz man that pisses all over his cage hahaha. I still have luck on my side as I haven't been pissed on by Caesar yet.

    And as for food, they do love to eat. I feed Caesar a medium rat once a week now. When I first got him, he was eating a weaned rat every 4 days, then small rat every 4 days. I also switched up his food with quails and chicks and when he was small, I would give him mice as well.

    And finally as for hook training, I tried with Caesar and it ended badly. he HATED the hook. It was the only time he actually hissed, opened his mouth and almost took a shot at it. I gave up on that thing. I just use a twisted up paper towel which works great for him. Sometimes when I slide his door open, he comes flying out the front to see whats going on. Doesn't have mouth open or anything, just wants to see whats up. I'll tap him in the head with the paper towel and he will back up and sit calmly in the cage or go back into his hide lol. He did once attack the glass door though a few weeks ago. I fed him a quail and after he was done, I tried sneaking the sheet of paper out. Well he was still in food mode and he opened his mouth anf glued it to the sliding door like the Facehugger from Aliens when the corporate guy was in the lab and that facehugger tried to get him in the tube. It was hilarious. Caesar sat there for about 5 secs rubbing his WIDE open mouth all over the glass. Then he backed up and just looked at me hahaha. And then he wandered off.

    I think you would like a retic. Just ask the personality on it. I asked Kris about Caesar and he told he is very handleable and LOVED to eat ANYTHING.

    Now I'm sure there are people who have horror stories with them which is why I say, make sure to get one this mellow and not one that is insane and bolts like a maniac.
    Last edited by Sauzo; 02-04-2017 at 01:54 AM.
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  14. #28
    BPnet Veteran ShaneSilva's Avatar
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    Now we're talking. Retics are my absolute favorite. Carpets and burms are tied for a close second. So I doubt you'd be unhappy no matter which route you take. Maintenance wise the retic requires the most, burm the least with the carpet somewhere in the middle. I have to clean Levi's (retic) pee at least every other day and poop averages twice a week. If you get a retic just be ready to deal with a lot of pee. He is very entertaining in his enclosure day or night. Like sauzo said when ever I walk into the room he comes out to see what's going on or will watch me clean the other snakes enclosures. Great temperament but I still tap him on the head Everytime it's not feeding time anyway. Some days he's really active when out of his enclosure and some days will just chill somewhere on me, usually with his head on the top of my head lol. Reli, my carpet python, usually pees once a week but will go twice every now and then. Poops about once a week. Also a great display snake. Loves to climb from perch to perch. Everytime I come into the room she is coiled up in a different spot. As stated before very easy to handle and I can have her out while I'm doing other things. Kitty, my burm, has a slower metabolism so she doesn't require much cleaning. She'll pee about twice a month and poop every month or 2. Very easy going when she's out and will usually just hang out. If she decides to explore she won't go far and usually comes back and climbs on or under me. She will coil up and sleep all day but is very active at night. She plays in her water A LOT which is ridiculously cute and entertaining. All 3 are excellent eaters. Never had any issues there. Although the retic is my favorite I can't really do much else if I have him out. I have to pretty much give him all my attention because he's so quick strong and determined lol. Which lead me to getting "hang out" snakes. But seeing you already have a boa you already got that part covered:p
    1.0 purple retic
    0.1 albino green burm
    2.0 bci
    0.1 coastal carpet
    1.0 corn snake
    1.0 Ball python
    1.0 Western hog

    1.0 Alaskan Malamute

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  16. #29
    BPnet Royalty Gio's Avatar
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    I couldn't read all of the responses in depth. but let me say this:

    Carpet pythons IN GENERAL are excellent captives. If you simply look at the multiple videos of real life, WILD carpets in Australia you will notice the adults 8 times out of 10 never put up much fuss when being picked up or moved. I'm talking non-captive animals. I think Australian pythons are rather confident and curious and maybe even semi social (still solitary) snakes.

    I've been bitten by my boa constrictor, my carpet and my retic. Now with age I can't get my nearly 7 foot coastal to bite me if I want her to do so.

    As for a pet snake, carpet pythons in fact one of the BEST species IMO. Wonderfully semi arboreal, they have similar metabolisms to boa constrictors and do not move nearly as fast as retics.

    I HIGHLY recommend them. As fas as bites go, any juvenile snake can be, and usually is defensive for a while. Their bites are rather comical, and not at all dangerous. My carpet never drew blood. She's an absolute doll now.

    If you get a carpet, use a handling branch for a while to introduce the snake to interaction. I did this with both my carpet and retic and they quickly became comfortable with handling.

    Photobucket is down so I can't post a picture of the handling branch but you should not discard the species. I'd take a carpet over a Burm any day. Now that is just my opinion, but depending on your room size, cage size and physical capabilities, the carpet will be the least challenging when it is a fully grown adult. A 75 pound or much, much heavier Burn is a boat anchor. They are fascinating, however, they are one of the heaviest bodied snakes out there. Maybe only second to anacondas.

    Also keep in mind that I find fully terrestrial snakes boring unless they are extremely active like many of the colubrids or olive and water pythons.

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  18. #30
    BPnet Lifer Sauzo's Avatar
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    I'm kind of surprised the retic didn't grow on you as fast as it did for Jmcrook and I, Gio. I love retics but they are definitely a handful. I still love boas though and it is really a toss up between them and retics. They are 2 completely different spectrums as far as interaction. Boas are all laid back and mellow and retics are busy bodies for the most part.

    Just as Gio cant get his carpet to bite him, I couldn't get Rosey to bite me. She didn't even wince or even so much as hiss when I took her to the vet and vet had to take a fluid sample from a bump on her nose. The vet was said she was really surprised how calm and laid back Rosey was during that as she has dealt with lots of snakes with lumps from rubbing and sinus infections and most pull away, hiss or try and bite. As pointed out, every snake is different personality wise so my advice is go with the one you like the best in color, pattern, size etc.

    And as for bites, any snake can draw blood except maybe a really tiny baby. Every bite I've taken from my snakes have drawn blood although Dotties and Vicks were feeding responses. Rosey was being startled as a baby and it still drew 1 drop of blood albeit a tiny drop. Allison drew blood pretty much every bite she did to me and Caesar and Luna have never tried to bite me yet.

    I really don't think you can wrong with whatever you pick out the pileup here. Just make sure you find out the temperament before you purchase.......but my vote still is for a SD/D retic
    Last edited by Sauzo; 02-04-2017 at 11:54 PM.
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