Another first-time carpet owner

[das_nooblet]

My pickup from the WCRE today.

Was looking for a carpet python to add some more variety to my small collection, and spotted this little fella about halfway through my wanderings. He was everything I was looking for, handled well, and the price was right

After the obligatory photo shoot before putting him in his new home, he proceeded to guard his water dish (curled up behind it, hovering in full strike posture) until I left the room

I get the feeling this little guy is gonna be a hoot. Have to remember to stop referring to him as "she" though, I'm too used to my snakes being female


And without further ado, I give you Akurra, the jungle carpet

[Fraido]

He's too cute!

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[BigLou3]

Congratulations, he looks great! You will really enjoy owing him. He looks like he's full of attitude which personally I love. They are awesome animals. Keep us posted as it goes and enjoy!


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[das_nooblet]

He has yet to come down from his perch up on his vines. Caught him drinking earlier, and even then, he was hanging straight down from his vine, held in place by the tip of his tail

Can't wait until he's big enough to move into a PVC enclosure like I did with Manasa recently. Bet he'll look even more awesome then


Two questions, one quick, one stupid.

He was sold as a "high yellow" jungle. Does that mean he'll have more yellow as he gets older (he's about a year old already), or just that what yellow he has will become brighter? Doesn't matter to me either way, mostly just curious.

With carpets being semi-arboreal, is it acceptable to have a vertical temperature gradient, or should I stick with the standard horizontal one?


Thanks for the help and the compliments. I'll be sure to pass them on to him, though I suspect he'll just sit there and glare at me for deigning to approach his lair

[EL-Ziggy]

Great looking jungle Das. They're fun snakes to keep. They usually hit their color peaks at around 2 so the yellow should get brighter and the black should get darker and richer. A vertical or horizontal temperature gradient will work. I have a bit of both for my carpets. I use IR heat bulbs for their basking spots and I also have uths on the enclosure floors. I could probably nix the uths during the summer. I'll be switching to rhps soon because I think they're the most efficient heat source. Keep us updated as your jungle grows.

[Tigerhawk]

Your new guy looks great. Carpets are a blast, I'm thinking about getting a new one. Correction I'm getting a new one.

[Firemaniv]

Congratulations, he will cause you to be broke because you will want more carpets.

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[das_nooblet]

Congratulations, he will cause you to be broke because you will want more carpets.

Fortunately (or not, depends on your level of addiction), I am limited by funds, space, and size.

A jungle's about the biggest I can have (due worries about my cats in the unlikely event of an escape), and that's likely a foot longer than the wife thinks he'll get: "Gee hon, I didn't expect this. Guess Akurra's just from the far end of the bell curve"

He seems to have settled on his favourite place in the vines though. I do love how the markings on his snout aren't symmetrical, almost looks like he's wearing cammo paint

[das_nooblet]

So when I went to take him out after a few days settling in, discovered Akurra was getting ready to shed. Between that and his first feed with me, didn't get to take him out to play until today

On the plus side, I got to watch him shed (wish I'd thought to go get my camera, was so absorbed I forgot), and he has a fresh coat of paint for his first photo shoot

Sorry for the picture dump, but you'd have gotten half of these last week anyways



His "Ima eat your face" pose when I put him back in the first time (the red from the heat lamp washed out the colour so I didn't notice until I had him out)



"Omnomnom"



Post-feed perch. Find the head



Fresh coat of paint.



"Oh, hai!"



Between the heat pits and the small black markings along the jaw, his face gives me a Day of the Dead vibe for some reason.



Close-up of his pattern (complete with mini Eiffel Tower)


And that's all for now, thanks for looking!

[EL-Ziggy]

Your jungle is looking great das. Congrats on the successful first feed and shed.