how often to feed carpet python

[Sasquatch]

I am wondering how often to feed my 3' ij mix carpet python. I would like to get him on an eating schedule, the breeder who works at the pet store said i should be feeding him large mice or rat pups at least once a week. I am wondering if once a week is good or would slightly more often, like say every 5 days, be ideal.

Also questions about housing...
is a screen lid with clips secure or is an enclosure with built in locking system preferable?
also, i have read carpets prefer cages on the smaller side as this helps them feel more secure. i have also read the bigger the better. which is ?
Thanks.

[Sasquatch]

also could he be fed small rats? he is taking either rats or mice, mice seem too small and small rats seem too big...

[EL Ziggy]

I don't keep carpets but there are lots of knowledgeable carpet keepers here. I'm sure they'll chime in soon. Best wishes and please share pics of your IJ when you can. A carpet is definitely going to be my next addition.

[Sasquatch]

thanks. he's in a 10 gallon with a screen lid and clips currently. he has an under tank heater and a low watt heat lamp. he has coco husk substrate that i keep ever so slightly damp for humidity but his humidity sends to linger a little below 50, and i realize the temperature in the cool parts of the tank is low 70s so tonight i put some saran wrap on the lid to hopefully trap heat and humidity. I am monitoring the temperature and humidity to see if it helps. my mother in law has a 20 gallon tank i can move him into whenever, i would just need to get a lid and clips. that's why i ask about the enclosure type as i am not sure whether do that or get him a new, different cage.

I would like to upgrade him to small rats if he could take them.

here's picture of him i took tonight:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bz2h...p=docslist_api

[David VB]

My feeding 'schedule' is as irregular as possible, so not exactly every week or 10 days, but whenever think now is a good time. Sometimes even within 5 days, but mostly somewhere between every 10 to 20 days tbh.

[David VB]

my Cheynei on a small rat :



I mostly give him 2 of this size, but will hang to bigger ones when i'm out of them.

[marvelfreak]

I would go with small rats. you be amazed at the size food Carpet can eat. The bigger the meal the longer i give between next feeding. Any idea how old it is?

Also if your going to use a tank then i stand it on it's end. Making it taller and giving it more room to climb. Then put your light on top but a couple inches off the glass. Heat pad on the bottom. This will give it a warm spot up high and down low. Give it multiply branches to climb on. With the smaller area at the bottom the water bowl will be sitting some what over the heat so you should have no humidity issues. Also i would get it moved into the 20 gallon Carpets love to explore the more room the better i say.

[shaunyboy]

Originally Posted by Sasquatch

I am wondering how often to feed my 3' ij mix carpet python. I would like to get him on an eating schedule, the breeder who works at the pet store said i should be feeding him large mice or rat pups at least once a week. I am wondering if once a week is good or would slightly more often, like say every 5 days, be ideal.

Also questions about housing...
is a screen lid with clips secure or is an enclosure with built in locking system preferable?
also, i have read carpets prefer cages on the smaller side as this helps them feel more secure. i have also read the bigger the better. which is ?
Thanks.

how old is you carpet ?

if you could take a picture of your carpet with say a coke can in the picture,it will give us an idea of his size and we can better advise on prey size

carpets can eat 3,4,5 times their girth without issue


re feeding
feed rats only mate,as the older a carpet gets,sometimes the harder it becomes to swap them over from mice to rats,and it takes a lot of mice to feed an adult carpet


hatchlings i feed every 7 days until they become sub adults

sub adults every 2 or 3 weeks

adults depending on season every 2 to 4 weeks

re enclosure size
carpets love the extra room,ive put hatchlings right into 4x2x2ft vivariums without issues (as long as it's NOT a nervous feeder)

more often i....

put hatchlings in the largest exo terra faunariums with a heat mat covering a third to a quarter of the tub bottom

after they grow out of that they go into 2x2x2ft viv's with ceramic heat set ups

then once they out grow that,they go into 4x2x2ft vivs with 100 watt basking bulbs and no heat at night,with the exception of a really cold winter,where i put in heat mats set to run during the night if it gets crazy cold

unless they are large examples they stay in 4x2x2ft viv's the rest of their days

big examples i would use a 6x2x2ft viv


cheers shaun

P.S. I keep all my carpets lean and muscular,so each carpet has its own eating schedule depending on how it looks

[shaunyboy]

Originally Posted by David VB

my Cheynei on a small rat :



I mostly give him 2 of this size, but will hang to bigger ones when i'm out of them.

that's barely a small snack for that Jungle mate lol


cheers shaun

[David VB]

Shaunyboy, here another shot of him eating :




And this is him after two of those rats :



I would think it's enough, no?

[Sasquatch]

here's a picture of the snake on my husband for an idea of size: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bz2h...p=docslist_api
the guy that brought him into the store apparently said he is 3 years old but everyone is saying he can't be that age because he is so small. couldn't he be stunted our just a small snake though? do you think he is ready for small rats?

[MDT]

man....i don't think that is a 3 yr old carpet, it looks much younger to me. and yes, i would feed that a small rat.

[Sasquatch]

I'll get him a small rat tomorrow and feed him on Monday. 5 days since the mouse was pretty small. here's a cool pic i took of him with my husband. kinda weird and silly but cool. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bz2h...p=docslist_api

[MDT]

i think your python is trying to eat your husband's head

[toddnbecka]

If that carpet is 3 years old then it was fed really small meals (or very infrequently) and its growth has been stunted.