First Handling of a JCP

[msavary76]

Well i went to a local pet shop that had an adult JCP. OMG I FELL IN LOVE. I got to hold and let it crawl all over me. Need Less to say I put a down payment on a Baby JCP.

[Terranaut]

That's awsome. Carpets are great in every way .... except for one .... the babys are nippy as can be. With patient handling they come around but it can be tough at first. Just remember the adult you held and remember yours will calm down eventually. There are a couple good "first handling" videos on youtube that show how to let the snake come to you. Enjoy your new snake. Great choice!!

[franks]

would you mind linking one of those youtube vids? I cannot find it

[Terranaut]

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[franks]

Thank you for the video. That was very helpful.

[Terranaut]

I haven't handled my 2 month old jcp babies yet. Well only once to retrieve an escape and the other in a failed sexing attempt but he was just to wild and stressed to continue. I have to move them in the next day or so and plan to do exactly as in the vid and handle them for a few min each before they go in their new homes. We tamed out our Jungle Jag thanks to my patient 10yr old whi handled him daily for a couple weeks. He jumps when you touch him in his viv but once out he is fine. Still a little shy but no strikes and no gloves.
Good luck with yours. I will post my experiences here if thats ok with you? Keep it all in one thread about first handling of a jcp.

[msavary76]

Hey everyone. My fiance bought some fish from the same pet store im buying my JCP from. Well her fish got very sick. so we took them back in to get are money back and they wouldnt take the fish back or even refund are money. So i ask them about there guarantee on snakes they said they dont have one. So i demanded my money back and got it. after threating to file a complaint with the BBB. So now im going to go to the Reptile Super Show next month thats coming to Los Angeles, and maybe purchase one there.

[msavary76]

Oh ya an update on my enclosure i am going to take the screen off the top of my zilla cage and replace it with Plexiglass

[MoreliAddict]

Good luck with the show, you'll have a real selection of Morelia to choose from. Don't forget to come back here and show it off!

[buffcoat]

As stated earlier, be prepared for a nippy wee one. You might have to wear gloves until it feels comfortable being held. Get it eating f/t pinky rats (if its a baby) asap. You don't want to have to feed a carpet adult mice when its bigger.

Good luck with the new purchase. You will be surprised how awesome these snakes are. They make fantastic displays.

[Tekpc007]

wow great vid , i will give this a try !

[msavary76]

Ya im prepared to have a nippy snake at first. I already have some gloves ready to start out with.

[shaunyboy]

Ya im prepared to have a nippy snake at first. I already have some gloves ready to start out with.

when you get your new carpet python.....

please remember,its always better to get them eating regular,BEFORE you start to handle them

4 or 5 feeds in a row would be appropriate i,as they're great snakes to keep

i must warn you,they are VERY addictive snakes

cheers shaun

i'm SURE you'll love keeping carpets

[msavary76]

Hey shaunyboy (http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/members/shaunyboy.html) i never knew that. thanks for the information. i thought i just could start handling them right away. Thanks Again

[shaunyboy]

Hey shaunyboy (http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/members/shaunyboy.html) i never knew that. thanks for the information. i thought i just could start handling them right away. Thanks Again

^^^^^
don't get me wrong,ive had hatchlings that feed on their first day with me

that said.....

i usually prefer to play it safe and give them 7 days to settle in,only going near them to change their water roughly every 5 days

i offer their first prey item after 7 days,i feed ALL my carpets rats from their first feed,right out the egg

the reason for this is...

sometimes,it can be hard to cross carpets over to rats,once they get a taste for mice,it takes a lot of jumbo mice,to feed an adult carpet python,so imo its ALWAYS best to start them on rat pinkies,then stick to rats until adulthood

with my well established adults,i have experimented with different types of prey,ive found they go back to rats with no problems,in the past i have tried various types of wild prey items,squirrel,pigeon,rabbit,etc

i wanted to see how diverse their appetites were to wild prey from the OTHER side of the planet.....

i came to the conclusion that...

if it's made of MEAT and BONE,then a carpet python will eat it :D

cheers shaun

P.S.the above,is just my personal approach,to feeding and a settling in period

imo,a new enviroment,handling,over handling,not enough hides,not enough cover in their tanks,etc,can all cause a degree of stress...

so i like to play it safe and give them time,to acclimatise to their new home

also i DON'T handle for 3 days after a feed,to give them time to digest their prey

different people allow snakes anything from,36 to 72 hours for digestion to take place

handling too soon after a feed,can cause the snake to,regurgatate its prey

[Lankyrob]

With regard to the handling after food i give my retic and Jungle an extra day to my other snakes for two reasons

1, they have a much more aggressive/active "feed" mode and take longer to relax after eating

2, they both take very large prey items (a good 4 times their girth) so it takes longer for the digestion to work

[msavary76]

Hey guys!!! Im wondering about the feeding schedule of the carpet python. What should i start him out on i know rats. But pinkies or fuzzies???? Im getting a JV

[Lankyrob]

When i got my jungle he was approx 8 months old, i put him straight onto rats taht were 3 times his girth every 14 then 21 days - same schedule as all my adult snakes. :)

[Terranaut]

I used to be a 2 week feeder but lately I have noticed 2 distinctly different perching behaviors. 1 is the coiled relaxed head on top perch and the other is death from above head hanging down pose. I am now using this as a hunger indicator. All my carpets do this and I have 5 so I doubt it's a coinsidence. I wait 3 days after they do the hang and feed them a rat at least 2x the snakes body size and up to 3 times the size of the snake. Never done bigger but they can go bigger. I figure a timed interval is fine but if you can read the snake isn't that better? As a beginer just do it weekly. Couple days late is fine if u need to.
Pics ???

[Lankyrob]

I used to be a 2 week feeder but lately I have noticed 2 distinctly different perching behaviors. 1 is the coiled relaxed head on top perch and the other is death from above head hanging down pose. I am now using this as a hunger indicator. All my carpets do this and I have 5 so I doubt it's a coinsidence. I wait 3 days after they do the hang and feed them a rat at least 2x the snakes body size and up to 3 times the size of the snake. Never done bigger but they can go bigger. I figure a timed interval is fine but if you can read the snake isn't that better? As a beginer just do it weekly. Couple days late is fine if u need to.
Pics ???

Lol, if i fed mine each time he perched like that i would be feeding 2-3 times a week. I feed easily 4times his girth if not more on occassion and as soon as it is eaten he goes straight back to that hunting perch, after an hour or so he will go hide but as soon as dusk approaches he will be back up there hunting once again. :)

[Terranaut]

Lol, if i fed mine each time he perched like that i would be feeding 2-3 times a week. I feed easily 4times his girth if not more on occassion and as soon as it is eaten he goes straight back to that hunting perch, after an hour or so he will go hide but as soon as dusk approaches he will be back up there hunting once again. :)

Thats funny all 5 of mine have very obvious perching patterns.
The chill pose and the eat now pose. Mine go into their hides in the mid morning untilmid afternoon/early evening if they go in at all. Even my 2 month olds do all of this behavior exactly. Can't be a coinsidence.