Care Sheet for PythonsAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 5.00 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 02/14/2007 |
Main Category: | Snakes |
Sub Category: | Pythons |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | B-Factor |
Years Experience: | 3 to 5 Years |
Species: | Jungle Carpet Python--Morelia spilota cheynei |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | Coastal and WP(West Papuan)/IJ(Irian Jaya) |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Sexing--with adults probing is the best method with females probing to a depth of 3-5 subcaudals sometimes to 8 with males from 8-13 subcaudals. Use the largest diameter probe possible
This should only be done by experienced people as damage can occur. If in doubt find a VET that treats exotics. |
Mostly Active During: | Night |
Substrate and Water Needs: | I prefer and recommend dried newspaper. It’s cheap if not free. It’s clean. It can be easy changed out which makes for a sanitary environment. Butcher paper is also very good. Paper towels with work fine for babies.
Aspen and Cypress are also very good substrates with Cypress usually accepted as better due to its resistance to molding. Care must be used when feeding as not to allow your snake to ingest it.
Fresh water at-all-times. The bowl should be large enough for full submersion for shedding times. It will also help control humidity in smaller vivs. |
Lighting and UVB: | Don’t use any UVB and for me lighting is sunshine through a window or normal room lights but a well protected/screened fluorescent can be used in larger vivs. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Normal average temp is around 80F/82F with a hot side and a cooler side. A night time drop can be down to 75F or a few degrees cooler on the cool side. A hide should be used at both ends to allow you snake to decide for itself its temp preference.
50%-60% humidity and a spray when they have gone blue and ready to shed. |
Heating and Equipment: | Heating can be accomplished in several ways--Underneath, above, or on the side while inside the viv. A thermometer should be used to take readings at both ends of the viv. A 90F basking area should be provided at all times day and night which could be achieved with undertank or above heat source.
If your viv is large and you choose to use a bulb type heater and it’s in the viv make sure to protect your snake from accidental burns and cover it with screening "securely". |
Caging Provided: | Hatchlings and Juvies can be housed in 12-16 quart rubbermaids 16x11x6 inches. Very inexpensive $3.00 each but not very "display" orientated. A small viv with hides helps keep the stress of the babies to a minimum because they have a tendency to be agrophobic=fear of large spaces. So small is good.
At about the year age or roughly 3 feet in length they should be moved into larger vivs around 28 quart 23x17x6 inches. As they grow from here they then can be moved into larger vivs measuring 36x18x18 or larger. Females that have grown large should be provided with bigger viv in all directions pushing 48x20x20 or bigger.
At least 1 hide should be provided with 2, one on each side, being more preferred. The hides should not be huge when compared to the snakes size as they prefer to be "cozy" rather than have more space. Plastic bowls with a hole on the side and or maybe a hole centered on the top can be used and are usually readily available and very easy to keep clean. What ever is used remember it too needs to be cleaned thoroughly.
Jungles are semiarboreal so a perch or perches should be provided. Jungles are an ambush snake and like to wait at night perches for food to come walking by so perches are a must. I have even experienced what looked like caudal luring which is when the snake will drop its tail and use it like a lure moving it around like its a worm. Some pvc pipes could be used or maple or oak dried branches can be used. These woods are great because they don’t sweat sap. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | Babies should be offered pinky mice at first or better yet rat pinkies. Sometimes Jungles won’t accept pinky mice so offer a fuzzy or even hoppers. Yes, they can take hoppers as Jungles are a snake that can eat larger than usual meal sizes. Rats should be offed asap as many Jungles show an aversion to rats usually so it’s better to get them started right away because later it could prove quite difficult. They may even be mice eaters all their lives so feed rats.
The general rule can be followed for any size Jungle in feeding food items the size of the largest part of their body. They can accept food items up to 1/3 larger than the diameter of the thickest portion of their body.
Babies should be fed every 5-7 days an appropriate sized meal or 2 smaller meals. Adults should be fed appropriate sized meals every 2 weeks or so.
Chicks of appropriate size can be used as well if available. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | Don’t provide any |
Maintenance: | If using newspaper change out completely at each excrement and thoroughly clean with a 5% bleach/water 95% solution. Maintain clean water at all times.
When going blue for shedding you can spray to add humidity otherwise keep the humidity around 60%.
Low maintenance snake. |
Some Words on this Species: | After being reintroduced to Jungles I found them to be very rewarding to have. They are very alert. Babies can be nippy but should grow out of it with the use of a snake hook and regular handling.
As Jungles grow they undergo a dramatic ontogenic color change as they mature. Drab and dull to start then color-up as they age. A new shed is very exciting times for owner of Jungles.
I really like their highly variable patterns whether its banded or irregular or striping. And not to mention some even have some very unique and cool head patterns with most resembling skulls.
They are active and don’t get too large. Very manageable.
Popularity of Jungle Carpet Pythons is growing again and I can truly understand why. I have 4 now but that is only the beginning. I am sure of it. :) |
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