Propagating
Carpet Pythons
A Diamond
Coastal Carpet Intergrade.
Consistent
success in breeding snakes requires an understanding of the biological needs
the animals have, but keepers must also be able to interpret signals that behaviors
convey and possess other inherent skills that either come naturally or are
gleaned through experience. In this article I hope to share some general
information about some of the different carpet pythons I have kept and also
impart some of my experiences and observations that have led to breeding
success over many years.
From the first moment I saw a carpet
python I have had an interest in them and wanted to keep them. People often ask
me why I like them so much. Most carpet pythons are very good display animals
and spend time perching as if they are begging to have their picture taken.
They are also relatively active and can be seen doing things on most days. They
are larger than a ball python but not as large as a reticulate python. Even the
largest Carpet Python can be managed more easily than any of the giant snakes.
The present is a better time than ever to grow an interest and collection of
Carpet Pythons. They are more readily available than ever before and there are
also more types in the market than in years past. The selective breeding
efforts over the past 30 years have made it easy to obtain gorgeous specimens
at reasonable prices. There are also new morphs available and many more to come
over the next several years.
A Jaguar
Carpet Python.
Before
selecting a carpet python to work with it is important to figure out what you
want in a snake and then learn a little about the requirements of each type of
carpet python. Size is certainly an important factor. The New Guinea Carpet, or
Irian Jaya Carpet is the smallest type in the
Morelia spilota complex and grows to a length of around five or six
feet. Its small size equates to smaller caging requirements.
A
The
New Guinea Carpet is still being imported from the wild and selective breeding
has already resulted in a number of bloodlines where the deep orange coloration
is enhanced. The New Guinea Carpet also goes through a dramatic series of color
changes that make them interesting to raise from a young age.
A Jungle Carpet Python.
Jungle Carpet Pythons are considered to
be a smaller type of Carpet but I have seen some very large specimens. My
adults range from 6 to 8 feet long. The Jungle Carpet is well known for its
dark black and rich golden yellow coloration, qualities that few wild specimens
possess. Selective breeding has generated the consistently beautiful specimens
that are available today. They have been crossed with Diamond Pythons and
Coastal Carpets for the past thirty years. This has led hobbyists to search out
“pure” Jungles. It is nearly impossible to get what one could reliably call a
pure Jungle Carpet in the
An 18 Month Old Jungle Carpet.
Coastal Carpet Pythons are a very large
Carpet that requires large cages.This is the group that earned a reputation for
Carpets as being aggressive biters. In my experience young animals are
terrified by our gigantic size and strike wildly in fear the first several
times they are handled. Gentle handling will break this condition quickly, and
most every captive bred Coastal will become tractable once it grows to over
five feet in length. There is something about this stage in their growth that
enables them to gain a sense of security and lose the fear they have as babies.
Even specimens that are rarely touched by people will calm once adult sizes are
attained.
A High Contrast And Partially Striped
Intergrade.
It
is true that certain Carpets will never tame, but the same is true with
individuals in any group of snakes. It has been my observation that many people
simply do not know how to hold snakes and seem to be bitten by the tamest of
snakes at every turn. I use two hands when holding carpet pythons and allow
them to crawl where they want. As a result they remain calm and do not bite me.
The Coastals that I am most familiar with are the ones from the Southern-most
part of their range where they intergrade with the Diamond Python. They can
handle colder night time lows as a result of their southern origins.
An 88% Diamond/12%Jungle Carpet Hybrid.
The Diamond Python is the southern-most
ranging python in the world and can tolerate very cold temperatures as a
result. It is still important to provide daytime highs around 90 degrees
though. As is the case with Jungles, hobbyists are always on the hunt for pure
Diamonds. The legal importation of Australian Wildlife came to a close with the
advent of The Endangered Species Act in the early 1970’s which was also the
dawn of python husbandry advances. Diamond pythons in US collections began to
die off before their breeding requirements were fully understood and were bred
with Jungles as a result. However, illegally imported Diamond Pythons were confiscated
after the ESA was passed and many of these
A 75% Diamond Python.
specimens
ended up in the Zoos where captive breeding advances were being made. It is
possible to get pure Diamonds as a result. Well-known pure bloodlines come from
A Pure Diamond Python. This Baby Will
Become A Stunning Adult!
Crosses
are also readily available and have gained in popularity over the last several
years, especially the Jungle Carpet crosses. I work with pure Diamonds, 88%
Diamonds, and 75% Diamonds. All of them grow to over 8 feet long and require large
cages.
When it comes to cage size a couple of
things must be taken into consideration. The vast majority of Carpet Pythons
will not rub their noses in a cage that is large enough for them, but if kept
in cramped quarters all Carpets will push so hard that they are likely to rub
their fleshy “eyelids” off and cause permanent damage to their snouts and
heads…especially if they have screen lids. If you are going to keep your snake
in a small cage you will need to use a Sterilite box in a rack system with
smooth shelf tops to prevent permanent bodily damage.
Mild Damage Can Be Seen Between The Eyes.
I have had great success keeping Carpets
in spacious aquariums. Several of my Carpet Pythons have been housed in 150
gallon aquariums and never rubbed their noses as long as females were isolated
as the time for egg deposition approached. Screen lids allow for the use of
heat lamps. Heat lamps permit specimens to bask at temperatures that approach
and exceed 90 degrees. This is important for gravid females and also for both
sexes when night-time drops are at their lowest.
A 135 Gallon Tank With Screen Top And Heat
Lamp.
Another pro with screen tops involves the
easy control of humidity levels, especially if cypress is used as bedding.
Water added to a cage with screen tops will evaporate quickly, allowing the
shed cycle to be facilitated and also preventing mold and mildew from growing.
Despite the pros mentioned about
aquariums, tanks are made for keeping fish, not snakes. It is possible to learn
how to use them properly but there are other options out there. My favorites
are racks for babies and subadults while I use Boaphile or Barrs cages for
adults.
Boaphile Plastics Breeder Cages.
Boaphile and Barrs cages are made to
stack and are therefore space efficient. Heat lamps should not be used in these
cages, so I use heat tape controlled by Ranco thermostats. The heat tape can be
safely installed on the bottom of the cages to provide large basking spots. I
set the heat at 88-90 degrees. No matter what type of adult Carpet Python I am
keeping or what type of cage it is in, all heat is turned off at night since my
snake room will not drop below 50 degrees even on the coldest of Winter
evenings.
Carpet Pythons should be provided with a
water bowl large enough to soak in. This will facilitate shedding. Carpet
pythons will also take refuge in a large water bowl if they have mites. If you
notice one spending a lot of time in the water bowl when it is not about to
shed it will be a signal for you to perform a mite inspection.
A
A Perching Diamond Coastal Intergrade.
All
Before breeding trials begin adult Carpet Pythons need to be
preconditioned. Even long-time keepers underestimate just how large a food item
Carpet Pythons can consume. Larger food items have larger calcium-filled
skeletons which provide much needed reserves for egg-producing females. They
also force the head to stretch during feeding which in turn will cause the
skull to adjust and grow to proper proportion. In addition to the health
benefits, it is also great fun to feed snakes gigantic meals. Not only is it
fun to witness the feeding process, but a certain feeling of satisfaction comes
with seeing a basking snake bloated to capacity digesting a recently eaten
meal. Females should be fed heavily but males need to be maintained leaner to
ensure breeding vigor and long life.
This Snake Could Eat Five Meals This Size
In One Sitting During Warmer Months.
During the cooler Spring months I begin
feeding my adult specimens. I start with smaller meals and feed once or perhaps
twice the first month. As the year progresses and temperatures increase the
meals get larger and are offered more often. By July even my most mature adults
are fed giant meals once every seven days. The seven day schedule is fine to
stick with for a number of months but as Fall approaches I go off schedules and
use my eyes to determine feeding frequency, especially with males. Some males
gain weight easier than others and care must be taken to have them lean by late
October or early November. It is possible to overfeed females as well but it is
perfectly fine if they are on the plump side as the winter months arrive.
Put Your Snakes Together In Order To Breed
Them!!
I generally do not feed breeder snakes
through the months of December, January, and February mainly because I drop the
night time temperatures during these months. I also do not want them to focus
their energies trying to digest meals. I want them to devote all of their
attention to each other and breeding! Evening temperatures can drop to as low
as 55 degrees and even a bit cooler during this time. These cold temperatures
promote sperm production and kick-start follicular development and as long as
daytime basking temperatures between 85 and 90 are provided respiratory problems
do not develop.
When it comes to breeding snakes the most
important thing is to make sure that the male and female are in the same
enclosure when the females eggs are ready to be fertilized. For this reason I
try to keep my breeders together as much as possible throughout the breeding
season. It is well known that snakes do best when housed individually,
especially when large meals are being taken and basking spots are at a premium.
However, if you want to breed your animals you are going to have to put them
together.
A Combat Scene. Large Space Is Needed .
Remain In The Room To Observe At All Times. Death Can Result.
Combat between male Carpet pythons is not
usually necessary to induce breeding. If you have a male that seems stubborn
you can place the shed skin of another male in the cage and sometimes get a
good response. While the combat ritual may not be needed for successful
breeding, it is a fascinating thing to witness and certainly grows my own
appreciation for this group of snakes. Watching a combat event is downright fun
but can also be potentially dangerous and even lead to death. For this reason
certain precautions should be taken to ensure that the procedure is enrichment
for the animals and not cruel. Large cages are a must for combat. I have only
one cage that I allow my snakes to perform this exercise in. It is 6 feet long,
4 feet tall, and 2 feet wide and the males use every square inch of it as they
wrestle. It is also important that you be there to observe the event since the
loser will not be able to flee and can be killed by his aggressor. Many
enjoyable hours can be spent observing male snakes struggling for breeding
rights. I usually let my snakes combat when my wife has planned out a long
night of television for us since my big cage is in the same room as the
t.v. This allows me to keep an eye on
things. A normal combat begins with the two males rapidly tongue flicking each
other and trying to get their head above that of their competitor. These leads
to upward climbing which results in their bodies being wrapped around each
other. When one male feels that he has an advantage he will slam his head down
hard onto the other male in an effort to topple him. This can go on for a few
hours and will continue to escalate. It is not uncommon after a couple of hours
of struggling for one snake to resort to biting. This can cause large
lacerations. It is also a sign that the struggle is about to end either
naturally or by the keepers hand. If things end naturally the losing snake will
retreat and coil in the corner of the enclosure. If this happens, or if biting
persists the snakes should be separated from each other and placed with
females. Breeding does not generally follow right away as the males will be
tired and need a rest, but copulations are observed the next day or shortly
thereafter.
Copulating Jungle Carpet Pythons Copulating
75% Diamond Pythons
As mentioned, combat is not a must, but putting
your females and males together sure is! Copulations can often occur
immediately upon introduction, but more often than not it will take at least a
few days if not weeks. I prefer to introduce females into a males cage so that
he feels at home and is focused on the female and not on exploring new
surroundings. Removing a female for a couple of days and then reintroducing can
often induce breeding. If males seem uninterested when females are introduced I
will often resort to moving the males around and this stimulus will often be
just what it takes to get them breeding.
Copulation Close Up!
Observing one copulation is not a sure
sign that your female snake will become gravid. I usually see each of my
females bred three to six times each breeding season. The first copulation or
even the mere presence of a male seems to cause the females body to kick into
reproduction mode. Allow the snakes to breed as often as possible. I have
observed copulations lasting from one to eight hours. Males will usually breed
again two days later. I generally breed my males with two females but have bred
one male to five females in one season with 100% success. Most breeders do not
keep enough breeder male snakes and I loathe the “surplus male” mentality. It
is good practice to keep several breeder males for each breeding project since
illness and poor performance are always possibilities. It is also good to have
the option to diversify genetically.
Ovulation in females is obvious no matter
what type of Carpet Python you are breeding. The moment of conception lasts
around 24 hours and can be identified when a giant swelling in the females
mid-section is observed. After 24 hours or so the swelling will spread out
length-wise and be less obvious. Because there is a left and right ovary I
leave nothing to chance and continue to breed females that have appeared to
ovulate.
A Gravid Jungle Carpet Python. A
Gravid 75% Diamond Python.
Breeding season is always a time of
moving snakes around, but it is important to have cages ready for your gravid
females to settle into once you have no doubt that they are going to lay eggs.
A gravid snake needs a place to get hot, a place to cool off, water to drink,
and a place to hide. It is best if the snake is able to partially leave the
hide to bask in the heat. The hide can double as a nest box and should be
filled with moist nesting medium as the day approaches. Females that are about
to lay eggs will often be seen lying on their backs. This posture is a sign for
you to provide a good egg laying site if you have not done so already. Just
because you provide what seems to be a good place to lay eggs does not mean
that the female will agree with your assessment. It is therefore imperative to
check on females many times daily to make sure eggs don’t desiccate under heat lamps
or over heat pads. I have observed females forming concave depressions in their
bedding 48 hours or so prior to egg laying. If you see one of these depressions
you can almost bet that this will be the site of egg laying and you can adjust
accordingly. Special attention must be paid to your snakes at this time to make
sure that perfect eggs are not ruined by heat, cold, water, or lack of
humidity.
You Can See An Egg Being Laid In The Upper
Left. A Jungle
Carpet Laying Eggs.
It is always best to catch your females
in the act of egg laying so that you can get to the eggs before they harden and
also before the female recovers and tries to bite your face off defending her
clutch. If you catch her laying try to remove the eggs one by one without
touching her body with your hands. I have even had females lay eggs in my hands
if I was gentle enough! If you are unable to catch her in the act you are going
to have a struggle on your hands if you plan to incubate the eggs artificially.
It helps to have assistance from an experienced snake person but I prefer to
take the risks associated with a one on one struggle rather than let some
neophyte get near my females and eggs. It is best if you are able to sneak up
on the female and make the initial grab behind the head before she realizes you
are there. As soon as you make the grab you must see how she reacts and use
your other hand to get her off the clutch without it being rotated or flipped
over. I always give them a chance to coil around my arm after the first grab
and pay attention to the tail tip, which often remains coiled on the eggs and
will flip them over if not restrained. If you are unable to get the jump on a
female cover her with a towel and then get her behind the head.
Note That Both Arms Are In The Cage Ready
To Grab Fast. Do Not Fear Bites!
Egg boxes should be ready to go before
you remove the snake from her clutch. Use more vermiculite than you think you
will need. A larger volume will be more stable and hold temperature and humidity better than a smaller volume. I
use much less water than most breeders I know in my incubation medium. I try to
keep the eggs dry and the boxes humid enough to have beads of water on one or two
sides. I prefer to separate clutches so that I can better manage each
individual egg. I am able to separate any clutch no matter how long it has been
laid, but this takes a careful hand and patience. I prefer to set up eggs so
that they are not in contact with any other eggs in the box. Care must be taken
not to rotate the eggs as they are separated from the main mass and they should
be set up in the exact position that they were laid in. Marking the top of each
egg with a pencil before separation will help ensure proper placement. The
longer that an egg is out of the females body, the more important it is to make
sure that no rotation occurs.
Do Not Be Afraid To Handle Eggs, Just Be
Careful. These Eggs Were Seprated Easily.
I incubate eggs at 87-90 degrees. It is important
to get a thermometer that has been calibrated scientifically and not trust the
temperature reading on your thermostat.
An Incubator Made By Modifying A
Refridgerator. The Ranco Thermostat Is Not Visible.
These Eggs Are A Bit Cramped But Still
Hatched. Note The Dimples. Not Too Swollen.
The walls of Carpet Python eggs allow for a
lot of humidity loss and gain. Care must be taken to make sure that your eggs
do not take in or lose too much moisture too fast. If your eggs are swollen
with water it is likely that you will experience full-term mortalities. Your
eggs should begin to collapse at the end of your incubation period and it is
not uncommon for them to be half their peak size just before they hatch.
My babies have hatched from between 49
and 59 days. Once I get a pip I manually open the entire clutch with a tiny
v-shaped slit made by an exact-a knife. I then let the babies crawl out on
their own one or two days later.
Here Are The Same Eggs From Above. One Died
But I Got
As the babies hatch they are removed
from the egg boxes, rinsed, and then placed in a communal tub with slightly
damp newspaper, perches, and a water dish.
A Clutch Of Jungles.
A Clutch Of Diamonds.
They will shed within seven days. After
shedding they are separated and placed into small sterilite boxes in a rack
system. I have tried various cages, techniques and equipment but have found the
following set up to be the best way to house baby carpets and get them feeding
quickly. I begin by drilling 124 holes in a six quart Sterilite tub. I then run
a plastic perch across the width of each container on the side that will be
furthest from the vertically mounted heat tape in my black pvc rack system. I
cut a Styrofoam cup so that it is securely mounted under the perch. This
ensures that the snake will find water as it climbs and the inexpensive cup can
be thrown away and replaced when soiled. I then zip tie two more plastic
perches in an X shape and place that across the length of the cage.
A Typical Baby Box Set Up As Described
Above.
The deeper bedding and black rack
provide a sense of security by reducing light levels and obstructing the view
from three of the four sides of each box. The small, dark, and secluded cage
will allow the baby snake’s attention to be focused on food when it enters the
cage. Until three meals are taken in a row the babies should not be touched,
handled, breathed on or looked at funny! Leave them alone until they are strong
feeders.
These Are My Baby Racks. The Small Boxes
And Dark Plastic Makes The Babies Feel Secure.
Feeding trials can begin just after the
first shed, but I sometimes wait an extra seven days to let them get settled
into the new cage. The majority of babies in a clutch will take thawed rodents
from tweezers or even off the floor of the cage the very first time food is
offered. Mark these babies as feeders and never offer them a live meal again!!
Convincing some baby snakes to eat can take patience and proper presentation.
When I slide my boxes open I offer a warm food item within an inch or so of the
snakes face and then pull it away. This will often draw the snakes attention to
the food. I take care not to touch the snake with the food item at this point
and simply wave it around the heat pits and then pull it away. If the snake
refuses to strike after a few minutes of this I will gently tap the food item
one inch behind the snakes head on the neck. This will sometimes elicit a
strike and if it does I immediately let go of the food item so that it is in
the snakes mouth getting coils thrown around it. It generally takes 12 weeks
before I become concerned with non-feeders. This is simply an estimated time
frame and if my eyes tell me a specimen needs help I act sooner. At that point
I will offer live meals. If a non-feeder accepts a live meal I will follow with
two more every seven days and then begin offering frozen again. There are
always a couple of stragglers each year that I am forced to assist feed. After
three assists I begin offering live. After a snake takes three live meals I let
it get hungry and begin offering thawed again.
A Couple Of Well Started Intergrades After
Five Meals And Two Sheds.
In the past I have started baby carpets
on hopper mice. The problem with this is that they eventually must be switched
to rats and this can be difficult to do with some specimens. Many people are
shocked that a baby carpet can take a meal as large as a hopper mouse and are
even more surprised when they learn that I have recently begun starting my
babies on pinky rats as their first meal! As mentioned earlier, Carpet Pythons
can swallow gigantic meals and it is great to start them on rats so that you
never have to bother with switching them over…until they grow large enough to
eat rabbits and wallabies!! Large meals require warm temperatures to digest and
I offer babies a 90 degree basking spot with the ability to move to a slightly
cooler location. Temperatures remain high at night for the babies during the
first year.
These Racks Are Used To House Yearling
Carpets. Every Nook And Cranny Is Utilized!
How often a snake needs to be fed seems
to be a topic of debate amongst snake keepers and every reason is given to
support all of the different theories out there. What a keeper believes is
happening in nature is usually used as supportive evidence for whatever theory
they value.
A Red Hypo Jaguar Carpet. This Is A Coastal
Morph.
My
interpretation is that there is a great struggle for survival going on where
some snakes do very well, some very poorly, and others fall somewhere in
between. No two snakes fare exactly alike and no two snakes are created
genetically equal either. For these reasons I base my feeding schedules on how
my snakes perform. Some snakes are content with a meal every seven days, while
others pace their cages just a couple of days after a feeding. If a young baby
snake is hungry I will feed it! I believe that it is very important to give
ample food to snakes during their first two years of life to ensure proper
physical development and to make sure that they will achieve their genetic
potential. It is absolutely true that obese snakes die young, but in my
experience baby snakes use meals to grow long, not fat. Once an adult size is
attained it is important to guard against obesity, but until then I will feed a
baby carpet a number of meals a week if it wants them.
A High Contrast
If snakes are fed in the manner described
above than the time it takes for a specimen to go from hatchling to breeder
will vary. Some snakes seem to come out of the gate running and are ready to
reproduce in 2 or 3 years. Others may not be ready for 4 years. The occasional
female may not be ready for 5 years but this is odd and usually associated with
improper husbandry.
A Young Tiger Jaguar. This Is A Designer
Snake, Which Means A Combination Of Inheritable Traits Are Present.
I
have often heard the argument that snakes bred young die young. The proponents
of this concept tend to gauge their successes by how long they have managed to
keep their specimens alive. These records of longevity are generally kept in
what I consider to be sensory deprivation chambers, fed perhaps 5 times a year,
and never come in contact with another snake. I congratulate the record
breakers for their successes, but can not bring myself to keep a snake in this
manner. All of us must find a way to strike a balance between quantity and
quality of life. How other keepers go about this is not my business. It is my
goal to ensure that my snakes eat, grow, thrive, combat, breed, and experience
full lives that are not cut short by excess. I have found that the best way to
do this is to have a general routine schedule when it comes to feeding and
breeding but to also pay close attention to each individual snake and adjust
things to ensure that they all develop properly.
A Real Freak. Hybrid Cross Between
At the time of this writing I have babies
that were bred from babies that were bred from babies that I raised from
hatchlings. There is a very real sense of accomplishment and appreciation that
comes from participating in the development and continued survival of the
snakes I get to work with. It far surpasses beating the dragon at the end of
some 8 hour video game, maintaining a perfect lawn, or many of the other
pastimes that people involve themselves in these days. Should you decide to
breed Carpet Pythons or any type of snake try to hold back and raise as many of
your babies as time and space permit. I have never regretted raising a snake
but have cursed the day that I sold many after seeing how they turned out two
years later. Should you have breeding success, don’t let the dollar signs
interfere with your common sense. Treat other hobbyists well and try to give
them more than they expect. The friendships and camaraderie that develop
between hobbyists with similar interests are worth far more than the sale of a
few baby snakes.
One That Did Not Get Away! Keep Your Babies
And Resist Selling Them!