1st jcp a few ?

[mainbutter]

These guys do well on a fairly large variety of temp, humidity, and feeding strategies, so you may find conflicting information. My first suggestion is read as much as you can on these guys, and where you find people saying different things, just take their information at face value: it works for them.

Your temps sound good, that's what my '10 carpets have for their temps pretty much spot on. I wouldn't go any warmer than that, they don't need it quite as warm as some other pythons and can even do well on a low/mid 70s ambient and a mid-80s hot spot.

When I first got my yearling coastal carpet python, I was feeding every 5-8 days. Kitty put on some serious size during that year, going from 100-200 or so grams (I can't remember size for sure) to being over 6 foot and 5 lbs at 2 years old this past June. Over time I have slowed feeding to every 14 days. Kitty is even bigger now, tail tip at just around 7 foot and another pound or two heavier.

My '10 DJJ sib intergrades are going to be fed with a lighter hand. So far I've been feeding an average of about every 10 days. Slender carpet pythons will more readily breed once they are mature, and while they may not get as many eggs in a successful clutch, the likelihood of a successful clutch is very good if you don't feed as heavily.

As far as handling goes, if the snake is feeding (especially feeding HARD, pounding the feeder as soon as it sees it) it is probably feeling fairly stress-free. With any snake, give it at least 48 hours to begin the digestion process before any handling.

Many young carpet pythons will be snappy and can be difficult for some keepers to handle (or even want to handle, lol). So far I've been lucky with my snakes, I haven't been bitten by a carpet python yet. I've had my '10 girl snap at the hemostats I use as a small hook to get her out of the cage, but once she's out she handles just fine.

When I first started handling my pair of '10s, I wore gloves. I like to do this simply because they have huge heat pits lining their lips, and they act much happier without a godzilla-sized heat signature grabbing towards their face. A snake hook or similar makeshift tool can be a godsend getting a snappy carpet python out of their cage. For a more acclimated carpet python, all I do is pet them on the side of their body with a snake hook to let them know it isn't feeding time. The last thing you want is them seeing a big warm hand and strike/coil, thinking it's a rat. A 5lb carpet python is WAY stronger than you could imagine until you try to de-coil them from the skeleton of a futon. I don't want to have the experience of de-coiling one from my arm while its teeth are digging in.

Lastly, be careful handling small carpet pythons. Hatchlings are pretty frail looking and feeling snakes, it wouldn't take much to hurt one. I don't even really 'handle' them as much as let them crawl on top of my palms and fingers. I keep handling sessions short for young snakes, usually no longer than 5 or 10 minutes at a time, and often it's the GF holding them while I do some cage maintenance for a minute or two.