Carpet python advice

[Monkey boy]

HI fellow keepers,

Im after a bit of advice really I have recently taken on a carpet python and she is very snappy around nervous and jumpy, just wondering anyone can give me any pointers how to calm her down really. She was in a shocking setup with plain a4 paper for substrate and heat mat wasn't even wired up to the plug proper. I have now put her in a temporary setup just till she seems a bit better as advertised. ...... I'm not new to the snake keeping but am new to this species of snake ..... any advice is welcome and greatly appreciated :-)

[Andy_G]

Once you let her settle down a bit and acclimate(A week) then offer food. After a few successful feeding attempts in a row, handle as you would anything else and take any bites she may give. With gentle handling a few times a week she will most likely calm down nicely as she puts on some size and becomes used to handling.

[EL Ziggy]

I agree with Andy. Get your husbandry dialed in, let her acclimate to her environment, get a few meals in her and then start handling her. She'll be a lot easier to deal with once she's warm and full. :)

[toddnbecka]

How big/old is she? My IJ would strike at anything that moved when she was a baby. She settled in and calmed down over a period of several weeks, but it took months for her to be calm about being picked up. Now she's no problem to handle at all. A ceramic heat emitter or radiant heat panel are better options for carpet pythons than a heat mat IME. Give her a couple of suitable size hides to curl up inside if she wants cover.

[MDT]

To add, consider a "cage hook". Something you can reach in to enclosure with -besides your hands. A hook will not carry a heat signature (like your hands), and will not seem as threatening. You may already be hook training, but if not, it is worth considering (especially with their feeding response).

[Monkey boy]

I have her in her new enclosure and like you guys have said I have just left her to get used to my smells and sounds ect .... I will defo consider a hook for sure tho

[phassin]

One thing that helped my carpet was covering the sides of his cage. Having all sides on his enclosure being transparent made him feel more exposed . Now he's comfortable finding the corners and hanging out.

[Snake_eyes_88]

Ive gotta agree with that idea of hook training... I don't have any carpets but I've had my fair share of bitey snakes... I've always hook or tap trained almost every species of snake I keep. Whether that be a simple tap/touch to let them know I'm coming or full on hook training like I'm doing with my retic and have with all my boas...

This has saved me from a lot of bites tbh and I find its just a good practice to know how to do when it's suitable... :)

[Aaron_S]

Once you let her settle down a bit and acclimate(A week) then offer food. After a few successful feeding attempts in a row, handle as you would anything else and take any bites she may give. With gentle handling a few times a week she will most likely calm down nicely as she puts on some size and becomes used to handling.