My new irian jaya carpet python

[DennisM]

Unless you have locality data, you can never be sure whether or not you have a cross. With a few exceptions carpet pythons are the same snake when it gets right down to it. The husbandry and habits are all very similar with some variations. ALL are semi arboreal and keep well. Pure diamonds have some requirements that need attention, but when they are crossed that seems to change.

My coastal is a cross/mix/mutt but even in the wild, there are natural intergrade zones. The TRUE intergrades are viewed by the Aussie folks as very special snakes. Often the natural intergrade is a coastal/diamond and they really are beautiful.

I mentioned the book because it sheds a lot of light on the localities and also implies there is still plenty of research and study left to do with this group.

Nick Mutton and some others do have pure specimens if that is important to you, but if you just enjoy your snake for what it is, you will not think twice about it.

I do recommend NOT breeding or selling anything other than "shoulder pet" companions if you don't have data on the parents.

All that said, I still feel any carpet python is a very enjoyable, rewarding pet.

since Artemisace is planning crosses, locality/purity is obviously not an issue with this snake. But you are correct that if locality/purity is a concern, Nick is the man, he takes this stuff quite seriously. it's nice to know that you are getting documented lines, if that's what you want to do. I think most carpet keepers who develop a sizable collection will have a mix of pure/crosses/who knows in their collection. I like and keep all of the above.

I would have to disagree that they are all the same. True that the husbandry is the same and that they naturally intergrade. But I think there is an clear difference between what our hobby considers to be “pure” jungles, IJs, coastals etc. The caveat is that there has been so much crossing in the hobby you can never be sure. will there really be a difference between a “pure” jungle and a jungle that has just one coastal in the family tree 8 generations ago? I doubt it.

One thing is for sure, as Gio says, “any carpet python is a very enjoyable, rewarding pet”. I’ve kept dozens of them for over the past 20+ years and they are certainly that.