Yafe - Albino Carpet - FINAL - Progression Thread

[dakski]

Soooo I know nothing about Carpet Pythons but I may have the chance to get s hatchling Albino one ...

In an nutshell what’s the experience like ?

I’ve had Burms , Retics , Kings , Garters , Corns , Royals , Pine snakes and Rat snakes ..,

Are Carpets like any of the above !

Max size ?

Temperament ?


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They can be pretty nippy as babies and juveniles, but usually outgrow that. Yafe has been pretty docile since day 1, but will hiss at me from time to time when I go to pick him up. He's never struck and is pretty cool once picked up. I have him hook trained.

He's my first and only carpet, so I can only comment on him. However, he is a little shy and can spook himself bumping into things when handled, similar to my BP, but he is more curious and active. In terms of activeness being handled he's somewhere between a boa and a corn snake. Curious and active, but not squirmy.

Size depends on the locale and species. He is an Irian Jaya (IJ) and Darwin hybrid. Both are the smallest species of carpet. Expect 5-6 feet max and you can see the build. Sturdy, but not hefty like a boa or Burmese python.

He's a great eater and only refuses in shed (I wouldn't normally offer in shed, but sometimes it's difficult to tell with him).

A few basics for Carpet Pythons.

1. You should provide height and floor space as well as a perch or perches. Yafe will probably be 5-6FT and he has a 4X2X1.5' (122cm long X 61cm deep X 46cm high) with two perches at different heights front and back. He can also utilize his hides and does. I was told, given that he spends most of his time on his perches, a 3X2X1.5' would have been okay, but I have already had a 4X2' tower going up.

2. They are great display snakes, especially in the evenings, sometimes during the day as well. He's often out on his perches, but he does utilize his hides often and especially during the day.

3. Get them on rats young. I've heard they can be difficult to switch from mice to rats. It was not an issue with Yafe, but I think it's worse the older they get.

4. Temp and humidity are really important as they are more prone to RI's than other pythons. Yafe got one when his shipment was delayed by 14 hours. Took 2 months and a lot of money and work to cure him. I've heard similar things from other people who have acquired Carpets. Even if conditions are good, stress can cause them if conditions aren't perfect.

Depends on species, but I keep Yafe's hot spot on his perch around 91-92F and the floor below about 90-91F (adult carpets can handle 92-93F pretty easily). His tank goes from that range on the hot side down to 79-80F on the cool side. He uses all of that space deepening on digestion and thermoregulation.

Humidity is always over 50-55%. I keep it about 60-65% most of the time, but in the winter, it can drop a little. I raise it in shed and if he show any signs of breathing issues, I up temps a degree and raise humidity into the 65-70% range. Since he beat the RI, that's only happened once, and he was in shed, so probably an overreaction. I am not trying to scare you about RI's, but since he's had one already, he's probably more susceptible.



Since we cured his RI, he's really been a dream. He's beautiful, he eats like clockwork, and is very docile. He is out and about more than my other snakes and I don't have to cover his acrylic doors like the boas to avoid food strikes at them .

I enjoy handling him and he will be a very manageable size. That's a win win. If he had the active nature he does and was going to be much bigger, that would be a lot of work.

I don't shy away from larger snakes, but my boas are so chill, it almost doesn't matter. With him, although I've never had one, I imagine he's more like a retic.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

[EL-Ziggy]

Soooo I know nothing about Carpet Pythons but I may have the chance to get s hatchling Albino one ...

In an nutshell what’s the experience like ?

I’ve had Burms , Retics , Kings , Garters , Corns , Royals , Pine snakes and Rat snakes ..,

Are Carpets like any of the above !

Max size ?

Temperament ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Carpets are the best! They're my favorite snake species. I think every keeper needs at least one carpet in their collection. Temperament is an individual thing but all of mine are really chill. I do hook train them because they're pretty food driven but none of mine are defensive or bitey. They're active and inquisitive during handling, but not flighty, which is fun to me. They're beautiful and they make really good display snakes. They're also pretty hardy and easy to care for imo. I keep mine with a hot spot of 86-90 and don't worry about ambient temps or humidity. My ambient temps in summer are usually around 80. My winter time ambient temps have dropped into the upper 60s at night and they'll still be off their hot spots. They're usually great eaters but I have a couple that will go off food during winter or breeding season. Most are gonna max out between 5-7 ft which makes them a very manageable medium sized snake. You can't go wrong with a carpet.

[dakski]

Carpets are the best! They're my favorite snake species. I think every keeper needs at least one carpet in their collection. Temperament is an individual thing but all of mine are really chill. I do hook train them because they're pretty food driven but none of mine are defensive or bitey. They're active and inquisitive during handling, but not flighty, which is fun to me. They're beautiful and they make really good display snakes. They're also pretty hardy and easy to care for imo. I keep mine with a hot spot of 86-90 and don't worry about ambient temps or humidity. My ambient temps in summer are usually around 80. My winter time ambient temps have dropped into the upper 60s at night and they'll still be off their hot spots. They're usually great eaters but I have a couple that will go off food during winter or breeding season. Most are gonna max out between 5-7 ft which makes them a very manageable medium sized snake. You can't go wrong with a carpet.

Thanks EL-Ziggy.

EL-Ziggy has seniority here when it comes to Carpets.

I know what keeps Yafe happy and healthy, but I am also gun shy because he literally showed up with an RI. He was also 105G and a year old or so and probably more vulnerable than an older Carpet. I am also probably more careful with his setup than any of my other snakes now.

After my Boas, he is my favorite to handle and as he grows he continues to chill more and more.

[EL-Ziggy]

Thanks EL-Ziggy.

EL-Ziggy has seniority here when it comes to Carpets.

I know what keeps Yafe happy and healthy, but I am also gun shy because he literally showed up with an RI. He was also 105G and a year old or so and probably more vulnerable than an older Carpet. I am also probably more careful with his setup than any of my other snakes now.

After my Boas, he is my favorite to handle and as he grows he continues to chill more and more.

Thanks Dave. I'm definitely no expert. We keep our carpets very similarly. I might let mine get a little cooler. Yafe, and all your critters, have a pretty sweet setup over there. They're relaxing at their reptile resort 😀. My crew has to tough it out. It's boot camp time!! I'm dropping their temps and cutting back on their food for the next few months.
I also have to agree with you about boas. They're my favorite snakes to handle too. I still consider myself a carpet guy but them boas are really special too. Super chill but eat like zombies. If I had gotten into them sooner I'd definitely have more of them.

[dakski]

Growing and Growing. He's over 380G after one meal and two waste dumps in the past 2 weeks. Really getting bright and handsome as well as thicker and sturdier.

Here's Yafe with his Grandma, my mother. He moves a little quick for her, but has been chilling out more and more. She's a big fan of the boas, and that's hard to argue as they are super chill. However, she's warming up to Yafe.

[richardhind1972]

Growing and Growing. He's over 380G after one meal and two waste dumps in the past 2 weeks. Really getting bright and handsome as well as thicker and sturdier.

Here's Yafe with his Grandma, my mother. He moves a little quick for her, but has been chilling out more and more. She's a big fan of the boas, and that's hard to argue as they are super chill. However, she's warming up to Yafe.

He's a great colour, and looking great dave
that's the good thing about the boas, they generally chill and are a liitle more calm and collected when moving about

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[dakski]

Yafe is doing incredibly well. He's thickening up and getting strong. He's also calming down a ton as I handle him more. He's quite calm and doesn't hiss most of the time I go to pick him up now, but I don't sweat it if/when he does.

I am so happy with his progress and his health. He eats like a pig, hasn't made a bad breathing sound in a while, and keeps putting on solid weight and growing. His also active, but docile. I think I've said it before, but somewhere between a Boa and a Corn Snake. He really likes to hold on though, much more like a boa.

Here's a video of me holding him today.

[Bogertophis]

He's a very pretty fellow, but you deserve SO much credit for getting him healthy after he arrived so ill.

[dakski]

He's a very pretty fellow, but you deserve SO much credit for getting him healthy after he arrived so ill.

Thanks Bogertophis! That means so much to both me, and to Katie. We are so happy he's doing great! Almost 400G now! That versus a sickly 110G when we got him.

Had him out today and got a few pictures. He pounded a weaned rat this past Sunday. He was a little hiss machine when I went to take him out, which is unusual of late, but not out of the realm of possibility either . He never strikes, and was fine once picked up. I probably woke him up or something. Either way, good to know he calms down quickly and becomes really chill once picked up. I am pleased with his progress.

[dakski]

Yafe chilling and checking me out as I put his fresh water back.

The LED light in his tank makes him look bright and blueish, but it's still cool to see him peeking.

Considering he is an aggressive feeder, he's chill about having his water bowl moved in and out while he's perched and is too happy to bother me. I won't do that with the boas .