New JCP owner with questions

[jamesb]

Hi all. I am a new Jungle Carpet Python owner. He is awesome! Named him Bumblebee which I though was very fitting . I do have some questions/issue I would love to be addressed.

Here is the info:

• My GF purchased him for me from a local reptile and fish pet shop. Buddy shopped there for fish, family owned, seemed to know a lot and very nice.
• Had him for about a week and a half. Fed him 3 frozen pinky mice last Monday night. Ate them right up, although he didn't look like he just ate. Was out that night and the next roaming around and sleeping during the day.
• Took him out almost 72 hours after eating and had him out for a couple of minutes. He struck and bit me about 4 times and at one point pooped a very small amount in my hand. My Corn snake did this when she was nervous. I left him alone for the next 4 days.
• This brings me to today. I took him out and he struck a bit, but never connected. Still very jumpy/scared. Jumps/strikes some when I brush his back, etc. He is only a couple months old at most I was told. I had him out for 5 minutes or so, then put him back.
• There is plenty of hides in his tank(3 hides), branches to climb, etc. Hot spot of around 92-93 degrees, with the tank having a range of 80-89 degrees. I think that is plenty of range for him to find a place he likes. Cool nights, sometimes get to 78 degrees in parts, but mostly it is in the 80s.
• Humidity is usually around 50-60 percent with it going up to 70-80 percent right after I mist the tank. It has gone down to 40 percent during mid day when it is hotest.
• I plan to feed him weekly. My question is how much? His last feeding last Monday he ate 3 pinkies no problem. He didn't actually look like he ate much, and it was a PITA getting him back in his tank without him trying to make a meal out of me. (I fed him in a 10 gallon tank with a branch in it).

My main goals for him are to be healthy and docile enough to hold him when I want.

I plan to feed him again tonight or tomorrow. Should I stick with 3 pinkies for the next couple feedings or move to a fuzzy? Would one fuzzy be enough? So far he seems like he is doing pretty good. Just very jumpy and nervous at the thought of being handled. He hasn't pooped from what I can tell from his last meal. Any help, ideas is appreciated.

Here are a few shots of him in my GFs hand as well as what I think is an awesome home.











Cliffs for those that don't want to read:

How can I tame him down from being nippy?
How much and often should I feed him (3 pinkies a week, 1 fuzzy weekly, etc)? What do other owners recommend?

[infernalis]

Nice snake and setup....... thanks for posting.

[marvelfreak]

Hello and welcome! I try feeding him a fuzzy weekly. As far as taming him down when he bites or strikes don't put him right back in his cage. Keep him out for a few minutes till he settles down some. If you leave him alone or put him back every time he strike or bites he will do it everytime. To get what he wants which would be left alone. also some times it might take a month or so for them to settle in. If he bites alot you can where gloves till he gets use to you.

[jamesb]

Thanks I had some Mechanics gloves and I used that to take him out for feeding. He attacked my glove a bunch but where he was I had to bring my hand over him so that probably scared him. I put him in a 10 gallon with a heat lamp and fed him a fuzzy.

Once I defrosted the fuzzy and really looked at it, it seemed way too big. Probably 4x the girth of his neck. He ate it like a champ without issue. Small bulge in his body but not too big.

Putting him back was uneventful. He was on a large stick in the feeding tank so I just slowly picked up the stick and moved it to his normal tank. He went right off of it and is now climbing around.

Once I can figure out an easy way to get him out of his tank to feed it should be simple process.

I was very suprised he ate the fuzzy like that. Looks like I will be going to a fuzzy every 6 days or so for now.

Thanks for the tips. I didn't put him back in after biting. I did like you said and waited till he calmed down some, then stroked his back a bit and then put him back.

[Freebody]

ya morelia like to bite when they are young and grow to be real mello, do like marvel says and he will me calm in no time, i do the same thing when my baby morelia i have decide to throw a hissy fit, i just hold them real calm and they chill out and start enjoying their time out of the cages.

[Meg]

Babies can definitely be nippy...everything is bigger than they are...thats scary.

Glad you bumped up the size but is he eating mice? or rats? Rats are important for the health of larger snakes like pythons. He will have to be switched over to rats in not very long to promote good health and growth. So its best to get him started soon otherwise it can be difficult to switch them over. That size of carpet can EASILY take a pinky or fuzzy rat. Carpets have good sized heads

also the only other note I have is that nervous people make nervous snakes. When you take him out...try and act like you dont care about being bit (even if you do) show no nervousness and dont stand around putting your hand in and out of the cage. Walk over, reach in, pick him up and take him out. No hesitation. The more normal you make it...the more normal he'll take it!

Enjoy I LOVE carpets

[jamesb]

Originally Posted by Meg

Babies can definitely be nippy...everything is bigger than they are...thats scary.

Glad you bumped up the size but is he eating mice? or rats? Rats are important for the health of larger snakes like pythons. He will have to be switched over to rats in not very long to promote good health and growth. So its best to get him started soon otherwise it can be difficult to switch them over. That size of carpet can EASILY take a pinky or fuzzy rat. Carpets have good sized heads

also the only other note I have is that nervous people make nervous snakes. When you take him out...try and act like you dont care about being bit (even if you do) show no nervousness and dont stand around putting your hand in and out of the cage. Walk over, reach in, pick him up and take him out. No hesitation. The more normal you make it...the more normal he'll take it!

Enjoy I LOVE carpets

Thanks! I don't flinch when he strikes. I know it barely hurts and I don't want to hurt him.

I fed him a fuzzy mouse last night. The first feeding was three pinky mice. I am not sure the petco near me stocks pinky or fuzzy rats so I might have to do some searching for a place with them.

[jamesb]

One more thing. I found RodentPro for rats. Should I order the 100 pack of rat fuzzies? I think sizewise they will be OK for him. I think I would have a lot left over once he moves to larger prey though.

Or should I keep doing fuzzy mice and then try and get him to eat the rat pups which are a bit larger than rat fuzzies. Rat pups come in a bag of 25 for $20 so there is less in a bag. At $50 a bag of 100 rat fuzzies that is a lot of money to waste when he would probably only eat some of them.

Or do I find a local place that has frozen rat fuzzies, feed him them for a bit and then go to weaned rats or something?

So many damn options..LOL

[Sigge]

A carpet python can easily swallow up to 150 % bigger food than the snakes thickest part. You can give him once in a while two fuzzies. They grow fast, so about when he's 6 months old you can offer him adult mice or similar sized rat. Good luck!

[Will0W783]

They can eat a big meal; it has surprised me at times how much mine can handle and want. As for taming, well he's just a little guy. Jungles especially are known for being nippy when they are babies, but they generally calm down at about the year to year and a half mark, once they get some size on them. Basically handling for 5-10 minutes, 3 times a week or so should be fine. Don't try every day or you could stress him out too much. When he bites, don't put him away until he's calmed down. Wear gloves or something so he can't break your skin and then the bites don't hurt. He will calm down in time, but it may take a while. He's quite the handsome baby, and should develop some real nice colors as he matures!

[jamesb]

Thanks

Now i'm just trying to figure out the food options and what is best as I mentioned above in post #8

[Meg]

I would say either of those options are fine. However 100 fuzzies is not as much as you think considering babies eat a lot because they are growing. And when he starts to get bigger you can feed him two fuzzies at a time until they are gone and them bump his food. Being on rats is important

[Freebody]

100 for 1 snake is still 2 years supply untill your feeding 2 then their is still only 52 weeks in a year. its best to not get 1 years of food at once because it goes bad, When i buy food i buy about 20 or so rats per snake at the size they are currently eating.

[jamesb]

Originally Posted by Meg

I would say either of those options are fine. However 100 fuzzies is not as much as you think considering babies eat a lot because they are growing. And when he starts to get bigger you can feed him two fuzzies at a time until they are gone and them bump his food. Being on rats is important

Originally Posted by Freebody

100 for 1 snake is still 2 years supply untill your feeding 2 then their is still only 52 weeks in a year. its best to not get 1 years of food at once because it goes bad, When i buy food i buy about 20 or so rats per snake at the size they are currently eating.

I figured I am going to try to feed him every 6 days. So for now one rat fuzzy should be good. I am trying to find a place I can order 50 at once. That should be better than having 100 on hand. Or if worst comes to worst I could just order the 100 and post an ad locally to sell half of them. For the next week or so I'll feed him a mouse fuzzy unless I find a local place with the rat fuzzys.

I hope he takes rats without much issue.

[jamesb]

Found this site:

Frozen Rats for Sale | All Sizes of Feeder Rats

Anybody familiar with them/use them before? They are one of the only places I found so far where I could buy less than 50 fuzzy rats.