carpet

Carpet Pythons
(Python spilotes variegatus)
Family: Pythonidae, the pythons. Some herpetologists consider pythons to be a subfamily of Boidae.

Size: Medium as far as the giant snakes go. Adult Carpet Pythons have the capacity to exceed ten feet, but average between eight and nine feet. Although powerful, these snakes are quite sleek and not as heavily-bodied as many of their pthon and boa allies.

Care Difficulty: Easy. The Carpet Python is an amiable captive with no difficult demands. Its benevolent disposition and willingness to feed in captivity make handling it and caring for it all the easier.

Description: A subspecies of the Diamond Python, Python spilotes spilotes, the Carpet bears similar markings and coloration. This snake is brown to black dorsally with gray to whitish speckles on many scales. Broader patterns energe, however,when the animal is viewed from a distance. Rectangular saddles, diamonds, ross bands, stripes, and hourglass shapes are common patterns, while random blotches, circles, and ocelli adorn a few individuals. Usually, the pattern forms at least a suggestion of rough or uneven bands. Pattern and coloration are highly variable in the Carpet Python and differ significantly in individuals hailing from different geographic locations. Some isolated populations may even bear bright yellow, rust, or rich golden coloration. The ventral surface is usually the same color as the ligthest of the dorsal speckles. The Carpet Python has wide jaws that form a trianglular head, clearly defined from the snake's rather narrow neck. The dorsal scales are smooth, but the belly plates curve sharply upwards at the edges. This scale formation, coupled with its powerful muscles and sleek body make the Carpet Python well-adapted for a life in the trees.

Range: This snake is found across northern Australia, over the entire eastern coast, and west to the central southern coast. It is absent from most of the southeastern state of Victoria. The Carpet also inhabits the forests of southern New Guinea.

Habits: The Carpet Python is a nocturnal hunter that spends the days sleeping in a tree hollow or underground in an abandoned rodent burrow. As night falls, this powerful constrictor ventures out of hiding and into tree branches or rocky outcroppings in search of sleeping birds, rodents,or other small mammals. During cooler months of the year, the Carpet may become crepuscular, and move only during the warmer twilight hours of the evening. A highly adaptable creature, the Carpet Python will accept a fully terrestrial lifestyle and rodent-based diet when in open country (such as in the semi-deserts of the Australian Outback) but will stay arboreal and consume more birds and small marsupials when in heavily forested areas. Breeding takes place in spring. Males havesnall spurs (the remnants of ancient legs) on each side of the cloaca used to stimulate the female when copulating. In approximately five to six weeks, the female will deposit up to a dozen white eggs in a hollow log or other moist place and will coil about her clutch to both incubate and protect them. Her eggs will hatch in just over a month, and neonate pythons average between 12 - 14 inches when they emerge. The young will reach sexual maturity in approximatley three years.

Diet: In the wild, the Carpet Python will consume an assortment of prey items including birds, bats, marsupial mammals, birds eggs, and everal species of rodents. This variety is virtually impossible to simulate in captivity, but a diet of pre-killed mice and chicks will be adequate. The occasional duckling, rat, or small rabbit will also be enjoyed by a hungry Carpet Python. Occasionally, a hatchling will insist on lizards for the first few meals.

Temperature/Humidity: This species is tolerant of high temperatures. A daily high temperature of 85 to 88f is sufficient, while a nightly drop to the mid 70's is acceptable. A basking spot where temperatures exceed 90f should also be offered to your Carpet. Heat is best administered through one or more ceramic heat emitters coupled with ultra-violet bulbs, which this species requires if its metabolic systems are to function properly. Avoid heating rocks at all costs, however, as a Carpet Python may burrow to escape daylight and could be burned or even killed should it become trapped underneath a heating rock. Night cycle, or "moon light" bulbs are helpful in keeping your animal warm and allowing subdued viewing as it moves about nocturnally. The humidity needs for this snake vary depending on the locality of origin. A large dish of clean water should always be at your animal's disposal should it need to drink or soak itself prior to shedding. Some may need daily misting. If your python has problems shedding, increase the humidty.

Housing: As your animal grows, its home must grow as well. For starters, a juvenile Carpet Python may be housed comfortably in a 15 to 20 gallon tank. A half-grown (two to four feet) individul should be kept in nothing smaller than a 55 gallon tank, and any snake over five feet long should be in an enclosure large enough for it to stretch out completely. Sme hobbyists prefer tall custom built cages which afford the animal plenty of climbing room, but which do not occupy an exorbitant amount of floor-space. No matter what size or shape the cage is, it must be outfitted with plenty of climbing branches (sturdy enough as not to topple and possibly inure your animal). Branches adorned with heavy folliage are better still, for a well hidden Carpet Python is a happy Carpet Python. Substrate should consist of a thick layer of dry organic material, such as mulch or reptile bark bedding. Avoid using sand. Tiny granules may become lodged in the animal's mouth or nostrils, and can cause impaction of the gut if ingested and infection of the mouth or nose.. Many specimens suffer from severe sand abrasion and other maladies brought about by this problematic substrate.

Because of their great strength and climbing abilities, Carpets are msterful escape artists. Any encosure should be fitted with a heavy guage screen lid that has no holes or gaps through which the python mightescape. As the animal grows, the guage of the wire should be strengthened, as an adult Carpet can literally bust through a weak wire mesh by sheer force. Sturdy hiding boxes, placed in each end of the tank, will be enjoyed and frequently used by your python. The box should be large enough that the entire snake can fit inside, but should also offer your animal a snug fir, as these snakes like their body to be touching a hide-out on all sides. Such tightness may seem strange to us, but most snakes will settle for nothing less than a close, secure feeling.

Temperament: On the whole, Carpet Pythons are docile snakes that allow extensive handling and petting. Even children (supervised of course) are safe when playing with a Carpet o manageable size. There are exceptions to every rule, however. Some Carpets, especially those adult, wild-caught individuals, will not hesitate to bite if provoked. Large, old Carpets, even those that were completely docile as juveniles, should be handled very carefully and caustiously, as members of this species may become more tempermental with age and can inflict a painful injury on an unsuspecting keeper if pushed too far.

Pet Suitability: Great. The Carpet Python is a beautiful and mild-mannered snake that feeds well in captivity and is quite possibly the perfect species for the herper who desires a large snake. Although not a true giant, the Carpet does grow to impressive lengths, but it can still be managed by the average hobbyist at even its grandest propotions. The carpet's unusual coloration and pattern make it an especially attractive captive.