Carpet Python

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Most people would consider Carpet Pythons relatively easy to keep and are generally fairly undemanding. They offer the keeper a lot of choices in terms of size, colour and pattern and have become readily more available in the past five years or so due to selective breeding efforts of hobbyists. Some basic necessities are a heavy water bowl so it cannot be knocked over when the snake is ‘cruising its viv’ at night, sufficient hide boxes at both ends to allow the snake to thermo regulate in a hide if it wants to (particularly important for young snakes), a suitable heat source on a thermostat to keep the right temperature on the ‘hotspot’ and either a temperature gun to monitor both warm and cool sides of the viv, or digital thermometers on either side.

Heating and Humidity

Aim to provide ambient temperatures of 70-80F and a temperature of around 88-92F under the basking lamp or over heat source. A night drop is generally thought to be unnecessary unless you are cycling your carpets for breeding. Some people feel that this should be kept around 70-80%. Anthony Caponetto has found that this does not appear to be necessary, but if you do wish to maintain a higher humidity it is really important that your vivarium gets a chance to dry out every day before you spray again. The idea is to create a humidity cycle, not constant humidity. Constant high humidity actually promotes bacterial and fungal growth which can lead to respiratory infection as well as numerous other health problems. If you are going to keep your Carpet without this humidity cycle, you would probably do as well to put in a damp moss hide around the time of their shed (when in blue until after shed), or mist while in blue.

Lighting

UVB is not a necessiary with Carpet Pythons. All reptiles and amphibians need a photo period. A plug in timer (for your white lights only, do not use a timer for all of your heating devices) works well to develop a regular photo period (light cycle) of 8 – 10 hours of light, 14 – 16 hours of dark.

Food

Carpet pythons are generally voracious eaters, however hatchlings can sometimes be tricky to get started. In almost all cases, a picky youngster will not be picky forever. It is often easier to get hatchlings started on rat pinkies, as they can take relatively huge meals from the outset, therefore something up to twice their diameter could be offered rather than the more usual 1.5 times diameter used for corns and the like. Provided they are left for a couple of days with sufficient heat they will usually digest the meal without incident. If you do start on mice pinkies, some carpets, particularly the Irayan Jaya’s and Jungles may be a little difficult to switch over to rats.

Enclosure

Young hatchlings are usually around 10-14” long and about the girth of a pencil. To start them off, it’s best to keep them in a small plastic ‘shoe box’ size enclosure. Nothing bigger than this should be used until they are accepting food on a regular basis. After this, you can generally move them on to a 10 gallon aquarium with a secure screen, or even to a large plastic ‘Critter Keeper’ type cage.

Adult Carpets should be kept in a vivarium with a minimum of 4-6 square feet of floor space, such as a 2’ x 2’ or 3’ x 2’ vivarium and these should be at least 15-24” high. Taller vivarims can be used, however care must be taken with heating these in order to keep the optimum temperature range.

As Carpet Pythons are semi arboreal they will generally make the most of whatever space is available to them, and something to climb on does appear to keep them happy, however, correct temperature zones need to be maintained to allow them to thermo regulate.

Substrates are generally down to personal choice and most people use paper towels or newspaper, particularly for hatchlings, however if you do want a ‘display cage’ then shredded coconut fiber or shredded aspen is ok.