Carpet python advice

Monkey boy · 07-04-16, 02:45 PM

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** · 07-04-16, 03:57 PM

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** · 07-04-16, 06:13 PM

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 · 07-05-16, 01:34 AM

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 · 07-05-16, 04:32 AM

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 · 07-05-16, 06:29 AM

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 · 07-05-16, 06:54 AM

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 · 07-06-16, 01:26 PM

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** · 07-06-16, 03:19 PM

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.