Jungle Carpet Python

[TylerWortman]

Okay I've had her home for 2 days. I left a pinky in her cage but she still hasnt eaten. What can I do?

[Lankyrob]

Wait. With any of my new snakes i have waited at least seven days before with them in their new home before offering any food (or attempting to handle them). Gives them time to get over the stress of the move and acclimatise to their new home.

After a week (apart from my BP) every snake has then taken food.

[lovemyskittles]

Two days may not be long enough for the snake to be ready to feed. We've fed as early as 5 days and been successful but we also take them out of the cage to feed them and present the food to them.

[TylerWortman]

Ok cool. Yeah I was guessing just wait. With my BP he ate the day I brought him home.... Also I have to make some changes to the tank. Needs a light bulb but my guy at the store said they like it cooler than BP's so I'm not rushing to get one. Its a 20 high and I have a heating bad on the back which brings the temp up a little...... What is the best bedding to use for my JCP?

[presspirate]

That's about how we do it. Some snakes have a tremendous feeding response, some are more lazy about it. Some like to "hunt" some like to be fed. Our little carpet won't eat unless we cover his feed box with a towel. Give it a little more time to settle in. Good luck!

[gonesnakee]

Any new snake should have at least a week to settle in before offering prey.
Also ensure husbandry needs are being properly met & for a BP is pretty much the same for a Carpet except yes Carpets can tolerate lower temps but still do best at a cool/hot range of 75F-95F, Mark
P.S. a pinky rat I hope? pinky mice should never be offered far too small & Carpets should be on rats from day 1 if possible, preferably FT ASAP

[TylerWortman]

Word. Thanks for the quick feedback really helpin me out. The store started her on Mice and I just got back from the store and dude told me to try mice. Are mice a problem for my JCP? Also what is FT?

[marvelfreak]

Rats have less fat and are healther for them. FT= frozen thawed If you can get her eating FT it safer for them. You don't have to worry about your snake getting bit. You can live it in over night if you have a snake that will only eat after dark like my Broneo does. Plus you can buy in bulge which is cheaper. If you do the FT thaw them out in warm water. Then when you ready to feed just heat the head up with some hot water to give them a nice heat signature.

[gonesnakee]

Mice are not a problem until later in life when it requires 20 of them at a time LOL
Live ones of course dangerous to the snake & a pain in the arse to have around all the time or go out of ones way to get.
Way easier just to go to the freezer & pull some FT out of a package of them & cheaper too.
You want your snake, any snake to be on the prey it will require as an adult later ASAP as a baby.
Carpets are able to eat rats from day one & one or a couple of them will all it will ever require at once for a meal even as an adult.
Mice don't cut it for an 8ft Python & the longer it feeds on them the harder it will be to switch it over later, why switch when it can start on rats to beging with?
Might take a live P rat or 2 before you can get it on FT ones, Mark

[TylerWortman]

True. I enjoy feeding live compared to FT. It's really exciting to watch. I keep a very close eye on the rats while they're in the cage if it comes to close or looks like it's going to bite my snake then i'll make some noise and scare it away from my snake. I also feel like she will be less likely to bite when I reach into her cage to hold her if she is use to live food.

[gonesnakee]

True. I enjoy feeding live compared to FT. It's really exciting to watch. I keep a very close eye on the rats while they're in the cage if it comes to close or looks like it's going to bite my snake then i'll make some noise and scare it away from my snake. I also feel like she will be less likely to bite when I reach into her cage to hold her if she is use to live food.

So is your excitement worth putting your snake at unnessicary risk?
It takes a split second for a live rat to potentially seriously injure your snake (take out its eye for example) & you will be able to do NOTHING about it but watch.
I have seen first hand some very serious wounds that owners watched helplessy occur due to feeding live because they thought it was cool.
Secondary infections from wounds can kill snakes as well.
Yes they eat live in the wild & many are seriously injured or killed due to it as well.
If the snake does not grab it right the rat will chew the crap out of the snake in seconds, coiled & dying or not & ther is nothing you will be able to do.

The feeding of live prey also tends to make snakes more aggressive than snakes fed on FT so you are wrong there as well, I'd sugget getting your thrills elsewhere its in the best interst of the snake afterall. Mark

[marvelfreak]

Had a mice bite and kill a red tail boa in the blick of a eye faster than i could grab it standing a foot away. It jump on it and bit it right on the back of the neck. Here's a picture of my 8 foot jungle she bite the rat and wrapped and it bit her back on the nose. Leaving her with this huge scare. Two years later and she still has this big lump.


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[percey39]

Give you snake more heat. Jungles love a hot spot of 30-34 degrees celcius and a cool end between 23-26 degrees if possible. I would also swithch your jungle to rats as Mark and Chuck have said as rats are better for your snakes and will be the right sized food when your snakes reaches adulthood.
I dont believe in live feeding unless its a hatchy or neonate snake that will not take F/T food items, as Mark has said its not worth the risks!!!

[TylerWortman]

Wow I feel awful about your carpet :( I'm really afraid of my JCP just being aggressive and I feel like feeding her FT will cause her to confuse me trying to hold her with food. You guys know a lot more than I do about snakes and have had way more experience with them than I do so please keep trying to convince me other wise...I just got a new lid for the cage. Starting in my brothers 20 high because I haven't found anyone to take my BP yet just can't afford two snakes. Got new lid for it and 15 watt light gonna put in tomorrow.

[percey39]

Also i would say your jungle wont eat if its not hot enough in the tank. Every morelia i have ever bought has eaten an hour or two after being put in its new home.

[TylerWortman]

Ok Im gonna try tomorrow with new lid and light :)

Also forgot to add that the name picking is still stuck! Errr but my top pick so far is Sydney since she is an Australian snake. What do you guys think?

[gonesnakee]

I had a JCP named Sydney before.
Yeah on live prey only to get them going when young & thats pinkies & fuzzies very harmless.
I have live mice here & sometimes I miss culling offspring before their eyes open by a few days.
A small hopper can give a pretty impressive bite considering its not even weaned yet.
I have watched a couple times big Kings get chomped by lil hoppers just feeding them off in the past.
Rats of course being far worse bites than mice for the same aged animal.
Living in Alberta, Canada it is against the law to even have a live rat in the Province so not an option here.
Alberta is one of the few rat free places on earth afterall where they would otherwsie thrive. I like it as for living here but it sucks as a snake guy at times LOL
A live pinky rat now & then would save on a whole lot of tease feeding, Mark

[TylerWortman]

Wow crazy Ive never heard of such a law! So I take it Sydney is a good pick in your book lol any other names you could throw my way?

[TylerWortman]

My friend just gave me a good idea Sheila (shee-lah) aussie slang for girls

[gonesnakee]

Wow crazy Ive never heard of such a law! So I take it Sydney is a good pick in your book lol any other names you could throw my way?

Yep Alberta has an actual Rat Patrol, if you see one ever make a call & a "SWAT" team of rathunters WILL come.
Get caught with a live rat is serious, like $5000 fine per animal or something & potential jail time as well, its really serious.
Started back in the 50s or so & Alberta is like I said pretty much the only place in the world where they should thrive but do not exist.
As for Sydney snake came named that way, but I found it appropriate.
Call them whatever you want they never come anyhow ;) LOL Mark
P.S. I've has Aussie females called Bindi & Terri before as well, Irwin references

[gonesnakee]

Speaking of Aussie girls...
Whats the difference between a French kiss & an Aussie one?
No difference, ones just down under is all ;) :p Mark

[TylerWortman]

haha good one