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.