First of all, I'm Max
Right now I'm the proud owner of a 6 month old Argentine Black and White Tegu, Kimosabi (Kimo for short).
So I've got my next reptile planned, and it's got to be a Jungle Carpet! I've never been taken by a snake like this! Everything I would want in a snake, gorgeous looks, completely manageable size, relatively easy care, small housing requirements, generally good temperament with effort, and a long life. I plan on picking one up at a local reptile show on either April 30th or August 13th, and I'm trying to get everything in order before then.
From what I understand, Carpets grow very slow, only reaching ~4' at 2 years of age, and require such a small space! The general rule I've heard is one square foot of floor space for every foot of snake, and an enclosure no taller than 24". That means an 8' adult can be housed in a 4'x2'x2' for life very comfortably! That would be so easy! I spoke with several breeders all ready, 2 of which actually preferred slightly smaller enclosures at 36"x24"x15", both reporting years of successful keeping with said setup. I just can't believe they thrive in such a small space.
Enclosure Plans:
I would be building the cage similar to my current Tegu cage:
-Plywood walls
-Drylock Sealer
-Painted black outside
-Built in light fixture
-Plexiglass front window
-4'x2'x2'
I've been told Carpets require a smaller space as a juvenile to feel comfortable, either a 10 or 20 gallon. Which I would house the snake until it was about 4', then he would move in to her new roomy 4x2. Cage size recommendations definitely varied from source to source, but one thing that didn't vary was the fact that bigger is most definitely not always better with this particular snake.
Light/Heating:
-Due to the low temperatures required, lighting will be minimal, but I'm having a hard time deciding which type will work best, but what ever it is, it will be completely un-reachable for the snake to avoid any burns
-Heating will be provided by some sort of mat or under tank heater on the hot side
-12 hours light, 12 hours dark
Husbandry plans:
-Humidity, a highly debated subject but I'm almost convinced high humidity is not needed. The happy medium seems to be around 50%, which is my plan as of now.
-Temperatures: A 75-80F cold side, 90-95F hot.
-Furniture, I'll provide 2 hides (one on the cold and hot side), plenty of climbing logs, and lots of foliage
-Constant fresh water in a bowl large enough for the snake to soak itself
-I will be using the same substrate as I do with my Tegu, Coco Husk - Coarse
I understand that there are some cases where carpets never seem to calm down, although my understanding is that for the most part they are a very docile and friendly snake.
Feeding
I would start her off on pinky rats, as I've been told its sometimes difficult to make the switch from mice to rats when one starts with feeding mice. As the snake grows, I will begin feeding larger and larger rats.
-Feed once ever 5-7 days as juveniles, and once every 2 weeks for adults
Some questions I have:
-Although I've been told a 90-95F hot side is preferred, I can't seem to find reliable info on the preferred basking surface temp
-How much should I expect to spend on a "normal" jungle carpet at a show? I understand prices vary significantly depending on color, breeding, etc, but I will be looking for a rather normal and reasonably priced snake. I've seen them online anywhere from $125, to in the thousands, I just have no idea of what to expect at a show.
-I need lighting tips for the hot side! Florescent bulbs? Halogen flood lamp?
-Please let me know if I'm missing anything, or have any wrong information!
Wow that was a long read, sorry about that...
(which is probably why he bit me so much lol)
Linear Mode
