Is my Carpet python sick?

[bikerecho]

Hi there. I have gotten a Carpet irian jaya 2 month ago.
It haven't changed skin yet. My Ball python has changed skin 2 times sense i got the carpet.
Is something wrong?

[Terranaut]

How old is it ?

[LoLzMachine]

how old is it?
how often do you feed it?
what are you feeding it?

[bikerecho]

It's 2-2½ years old. it's properly a male. (not 100% sure)
I feed it with mice. 2 mice every 14 days

[pdomensis]

Length and weight? sounds like it's not getting much food for an adult IJ. Not surprised it's not shedding. or at least hasn't shed in 2 years

[bikerecho]

so 2 mice every 14 days are too little?

[bikerecho]

it didn't want to eat last time i tried to give it food.
I'll go buy 2 mice tomorrow.

[pdomensis]

I would say it depnds on the snake and the mice. Also, 2 months isn't really a long time to go without a shed.

[bikerecho]

i see. But it just look so dead in color.
should i try to give it 3 mice? i don't know how the previews owner feed it.

[bikerecho]

i found the previews owners phone number. He said he gave it 2 small mice every week.
I am giving it 2 regular mice ever second week. Should i change my feeding habit?

My ball get's 2 mice ever second week, she is doing fine. she is 550g

[Donnie]

You should get it onto appropriately sized rats as soon as you can. Can you post a picture or two of it next to something to use as scale to see its size?

[shaunyboy]

It's 2-2½ years old. it's properly a male. (not 100% sure)
I feed it with mice. 2 mice every 14 days

the older a Carpet Python gets the less often it sheds,theres nothing to worry about mate

re feeding
you would be better to feed larger prey and also get it eating rats

i would offer a small rat every 2 weeks,then after he eats 4 or 5 times in a row,i would offer medium rats every 2 to 3 weeks

its better to get Carpet Pythons eating rats from the begining,as sometimes the older they get,the harder it can be to switch them over from mice to rats

it takes a lot of mice to feed an adult Carpet,so its always better to get them onto rats as soon as you get the snake

cheers shaun

[shaunyboy]

i found the previews owners phone number. He said he gave it 2 small mice every week.
I am giving it 2 regular mice ever second week. Should i change my feeding habit?

My ball get's 2 mice ever second week, she is doing fine. she is 550g


imo Carpet Pythons have different feeding responses and grow at a different rate to Ball Pythons

yes you should feed it larger prey.....

see if you can get it to take rats

a Carpet Python can eat prey 3,4,5, times its girth without issues

re a good book to buy

Keeping and Breeding Australian Pythons,edited by Mike Swan

is a really good book,that will give you all the information needed to keep Carpet Pythons


cheers shaun

[bikerecho]

Thankyou guy. I'll start feeding it rats next feeding day.

So only 1 rat ever 2 weeks. than still "1" rat but medium sized every 2-3 weeks after it has successfully eaten 4-5 small sized rats. Is that right?

would this also apply to my Ball? It's a little thicker then my carpet. So should i just skip the small size and go to medium?

I'll post a picture of my carpet soon

[bikerecho]

Here are 2 images. Can you see what i mean about it having a low contrast color. My Ball is almost shining in comparing.

http://s22.postimg.org/f8j6m1k1d/IMAG0091.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/ej0e9ojhp/full/)
take a screenshot (http://postimage.org/app.php)


http://s8.postimg.org/5sioudx1x/IMAG0090.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/5frao7es1/full/)
windows print screen (http://postimage.org/app.php)

[Terranaut]

More food. Unless rats are an issue to aquire or something I would switch now. My jungle jag is about the same size and eats a small rat every 10 days. If you stick to mice , I would think 2 adult mice every 10 days is about the same. Your looks soon to go into blue. Mine all dull out a bit before blue. If you up your food your snake will also shed more.

[bikerecho]

Great. i'll deferentially do that. thanks

[shaunyboy]

Here are 2 images. Can you see what i mean about it having a low contrast color. My Ball is almost shining in comparing.

http://s22.postimg.org/f8j6m1k1d/IMAG0091.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/ej0e9ojhp/full/)
take a screenshot (http://postimage.org/app.php)


http://s8.postimg.org/5sioudx1x/IMAG0090.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/5frao7es1/full/)
windows print screen (http://postimage.org/app.php)


^^^^^
it looks like it's going into shed mate

it will get brighter once it's shed

cheers shaun

[bikerecho]

But.. it has looked like this for a long time.

[shaunyboy]

Here are 2 images. Can you see what i mean about it having a low contrast color. My Ball is almost shining in comparing.

http://s22.postimg.org/f8j6m1k1d/IMAG0091.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/ej0e9ojhp/full/)
take a screenshot (http://postimage.org/app.php)



windows print screen (http://postimage.org/app.php)


in the picture above the dull area may be retained shed,its hard to tell from the picture

in the picture the part of the snake thats round your wrist of looks dull,the rest of the snake looks bright,is that the way it looks in the flesh ?

the part of the snake at the bottom of your wrist apears to have some dry skin

if so then you may have some retained skin from a previous shed

you could try soaking the snake in warm water in the bath,let the snake run through your hands to see if any old shed comes off,if it starts to come off then rub all the dull patches and any old shed should come off in your hand/fingers



that said,if its just the way the picture has been taken and the whole snakes dull then ignore what i just said,as it may just be a dull coloured snake

cheers shaun

[franks]

But.. it has looked like this for a long time.

What is your hunidity currently at? A luke-warm bath may help.

[Mikoh4792]

But.. it has looked like this for a long time.

2 months is not a long time for a 2.5 year old snake.

Not only that maybe your snake is just dull, and not very high contrast.

I would also add that even for a slender species of python, your snake looks a bit underweight. Just try giving it bigger meals, or the same meal at a higher frequency. Maybe you will see faster sheds then. Best of luck.

[bikerecho]

in the picture above the dull area may be retained shed,its hard to tell from the picture

in the picture the part of the snake thats round your wrist of looks dull,the rest of the snake looks bright,is that the way it looks in the flesh ?
Well kinda. The blitz did make it a little more dull. On it's side it's not as dull. So it is kinda like this it looks in real life

the part of the snake at the bottom of your wrist apears to have some dry skin
if so then you may have some retained skin from a previous shed
I really hope this is the case. Can't wait to see it shed

you could try soaking the snake in warm water in the bath,let the snake run through your hands to see if any old shed comes off,if it starts to come off then rub all the dull patches and any old shed should come off in your hand/fingers
I'll definitely try that. thanks.


that said,if its just the way the picture has been taken and the whole snakes dull then ignore what i just said,as it may just be a dull coloured snake

I really hope not. In that case i am properly gonna sell it. My other snake is really bright and pretty, and i want my carpet to also be pretty to look at. It's one of the reasons i have snakes. I like the way they look

cheers shaun

What is your hunidity currently at? A luke-warm bath may help.
I'll try that. thanks


I would also add that even for a slender species of python, your snake looks a bit underweight. Just try giving it bigger meals, or the same meal at a higher frequency. Maybe you will see faster sheds then. Best of luck.
Thanks. i'll do that. I am going to the city today to get food for them. I'll switch to rats instead.

[bikerecho]

They didn't have any small size rats. So i bought 4 mice.
My healthy Ball python eat 2 without problems as usual. But my carpet didn't want to eat them.

I did give the carpet a bath and i did let the snake run through my hands. No skin was rubbing off.
It might still have helped a little. I can only hope.
I'll try feeding it the 2 remaining mice again when i come home from work.

[bikerecho]

They didn't have any small size rats. So i bought 4 mice.
My healthy Ball python eat 2 without problems as usual. But my carpet didn't want to eat them.

I did give the carpet a bath and i did let the snake run through my hands. No skin was rubbing off.
It might still have helped a little. I can only hope.
I'll try feeding it the 2 remaining mice again when i come home from work.