Carpet ID

[Laughingman868]

Hey guys quick question here.

I have had this carpet for about 3 months now after picking him up from a craigslist breeder, which was a huge mistake. I looked in the bag when I picked him up to make sure he was ok but didn't actually take him out, well after a few days of getting bitten non stop I thoroughly inspected him and he had a bunch of mites. I cleared them and now he is so nice, I couldn't believe the difference. Anyway the guy said he was a jungle carpet but after some research his markings sort of look a little closer to an irian jaya. It doesn't matter at all to me because at this point I love the little guy regardless of what type he is, just curious as to what he looks like to more knowledgeable people than myself.

[Laughingman868]

sorry for the sideways pics, they were right side up on my desk top, who knows what happened

[shaunyboy]

imo it's definitely not an Irian mate

it look like a carpet cross of some kind

it's a good looking carpet


cheers shaun

[marvelfreak]

I am with Shaun it looks like some kind of cross. Looks like it got some Coastal in it.

[Laughingman868]

Thanks for the input gents. I was thinking that also, I read some forums and others have said that a lot of jungle carpets being sold aren't completely jungles and are mixed sometimes.

The seller also said it would be super yellow though and as I have found out the high yellow ones are yellow even as babies so I doubt he will turn that color. The fact that he also sold me a snake with mites then denied it led me to believe it was not a jungle like he said and may be some other sub species.

[Stewjoe]

If I had to guess I would say a Coastal cross. Probably a Jag sibling.

[toddnbecka]

Looks something like my jungle cross, though with a bit more distinct pattern of bands and stripes. Also larger, most likely older, mine is eating f/t hopper mice. Similar colors, I doubt mine will be bright yellow when it's grown out. Awesome disposition, has never bitten or even struck at all.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/529b6f23-98f9-4b7d-9876-4d93c81abbac_zpsa87af02c.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/529b6f23-98f9-4b7d-9876-4d93c81abbac_zpsa87af02c.jpg.html)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/P1060523_zps86c8471b.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/P1060523_zps86c8471b.jpg.html)

[Laughingman868]

He looks nice Todd, in the pic with him on your hand the black looks pretty dark. Can you reach right in a grab him? I have a little tower type thing I built in the middle of the tank under a heat lamp hooked to a thermostat where one hide is and he sits there constantly which seems to help him digest, maybe a little too quick. idk how fast the metabolism of these type snakes are supposed to be but I feed him about every 6 days and he practically rips the mouse from my hand, about 2-3 days after eating a substantial meal there isn't a noticeable lump at all.

[Laughingman868]

I wanted something arboreal and at the time didn't want to drop the cash on an Emerald or GTP. I heard that carpets are semi arboreal and luckily he is satisfying what I wanted and spends most of his time elevated. He even hunts and strikes from the top of the cage most of the time. Both him and my BRB are lovely snakes but I have to say this little guy especially has quite the personality.

[marvelfreak]

Nice set up.

[toddnbecka]

The hand pic was taken several weeks ago shortly after shedding, the tank rim was when I first brought it home. Picked up at a reptile show, handled it there long enough to warm up and get active, seemed to have a mellow disposition, so I figured I'd take a chance for $60. Methinks I got lucky. :D
I can reach right in, no worries, typically heads off/away but doesn't panic or get defensive when picked up. (Actually easier to get hold of than my corn snake, that one moves faster when disturbed.) Will often settle down after a few minutes and hang out with me while I watch tv if undisturbed. He/she has been sleeping in the corner of the tank in the open. I have a couple tier rubber coated wire shelf with eggcrate foam for hiding under when the snake wants to hide, and a couple diagonal branches for climbing, essentially the same setup as my Dominican red mountain boas, which are also semi-arboreal. Was spending a good bit of time soaking in the water bowl until I realized the humidity at the upper part of the tank was much lower than the bottom where the gauge was. I switched to cypress mulch for the substrate and moved the gauge, seems to be good now.
Mine was a bit slow to get started feeding, after several weeks of refusing f/t I finally got live fuzzy and hopper mice. The fuzzy was offered/taken first, but after a couple minutes it was abandoned, so I offered the hopper. The hopper was taken just as quickly as the fuzzy, but was actually eaten after constriction. Been feeding f/t hoppers every 7 days since then w/out any problems. Bulge is gone in 2-3 days, might take one every 5-6 days but I've been happy enough with the weekly schedule as long as it keeps going. Carpets do prefer to strike from above their prey, but mine is happy enough to take a f/t from below when dangled over him/her. Good feeding response after waking up, but not as strong as you describe, possibly because mine is usually asleep when I bring out the food.

[Laughingman868]

yea yours does seem ultra mellow, especially for being so young. Thats a good thing though. Mine sleeps in the open but only at night when I'm not in and out of my room. Even then he still goes back to his warm hide if I'm moving around a lot or its really bright. Does yours come out during the day light hours very much?

Mine also didn't want dead food so it now gets only live. your probably correct about the feeding response being slower because he is sleeping when you bring out the food. This one was usually getting fed in a separate container but that tank is now in use so I feed it in his home. Before feeding though I always take him out for like 30 minutes just incase they do in fact begin to associate anything in their tank as food after being constantly fed in there. I make it a point to hold him and even open the cage frequently just to let him know that just because there is something in his home doesn't mean its lunch lol.

My BRB was purchased as a juvenile and it wouldn't eat in a separate tank for a couple weeks so I got tired of trying and just put a small rat in the tank...needless to say the rat didn't last very long, maybe 3 minutes. The rainbow knows the difference between food and my hand coming to grab him very well so I honestly have absolutely no problem with feeding in their cages now.

[Cmwells90]

yea yours does seem ultra mellow, especially for being so young. Thats a good thing though. Mine sleeps in the open but only at night when I'm not in and out of my room. Even then he still goes back to his warm hide if I'm moving around a lot or its really bright. Does yours come out during the day light hours very much?

Mine also didn't want dead food so it now gets only live. your probably correct about the feeding response being slower because he is sleeping when you bring out the food. This one was usually getting fed in a separate container but that tank is now in use so I feed it in his home. Before feeding though I always take him out for like 30 minutes just incase they do in fact begin to associate anything in their tank as food after being constantly fed in there. I make it a point to hold him and even open the cage frequently just to let him know that just because there is something in his home doesn't mean its lunch lol.

My BRB was purchased as a juvenile and it wouldn't eat in a separate tank for a couple weeks so I got tired of trying and just put a small rat in the tank...needless to say the rat didn't last very long, maybe 3 minutes. The rainbow knows the difference between food and my hand coming to grab him very well so I honestly have absolutely no problem with feeding in their cages now.

If you're worried about being bitten while trying to get them out, I would suggest getting a hook. I've "hook trained" many of my snakes. You just give them a tap with the snake hook when you're coming into the cage to do anyother BUT feed. My boa changes immediatly when I give her a tap, she knows I'm in there to move things or get her out, but not feeding. Because if I just went and grabbed her, she'd mistake me for food for sure!

[toddnbecka]

Mine sleeps the day away unless I disturb to feed or rinse/refill the water bowl. At first the usual sleeping spot was under cover, either under a piece of foam or curled up in the silk ivy. Now it's simply on top of the upper layer of foam, in the front corner against the glass. Before I put in the cypress mulch to raise the humidity he/she was soaking in the water bowl a lot at night, sometimes even sleeping in there into the daylight hours. Now that the humidity is higher the bugger barely moves by day, though I have seen minor changes of position. Instead of soaking in the water bowl more activity roaming the enclosure.
My snakes are all in the basement with the fish aquariums, not usually much activity around them through the day. They all sleep by day, start moving around after I feed the fish and turn off the lights at night. I usually let them get active and moving around on their own before taking them out and handling or feeding.