Care Sheet
Carpet pythons (Morelia spilotes sp.)

The information on this page can just as easily be applied to all of the Morelia spilotes species (possibly with only minor modifications), such as:

• Northern Carpet python (Morelia spilotes variegata)
• Jungle Carpet Python (Morelia spilota cheynei)
• Coastal Carpet Python (Morelia spilota mcdowelli)
• South Western Carpet Python (Morelia spilota imbricata)
• Murray Darling Carpet Python (Morelia spilota metcalfie)

A seperate caresheet has been written for Diamond Pythons (Morelia spilota spilota).

General Info:

Common Name	Scientific Name	Adult Size	General Description
Northern Carpet python	Morelia spilotes variegata	1.5 - 2.1m (5-7 feet)	The carpet python has a noticiably robust body and large head. They range from pale to dark brown and olive green to grey or reddish with darker blotches. This pattern acts as superb camouflage for the snake.
Jungle Carpet Python	Morelia spilota cheynei	1.4 - 2.0m (4' 6" - 6' 6")	The jungle carpet can generally be described to have a ringed pattern, with the dark rings wider than the pale rings. The pale rings can be vary from bright yellow to white in colour. In most specimens the pale rings on the neck and anterior body are broken to form pale dorsal blotches and lateral blotches, with the lateral blotches elongated lengthwise.
Coastal Carpet Python or Eastern Carpet Python	Morelia spilota mcdowelli	2.1 - 3m (7-10 feet) some females may reach 4.3m (14 feet)	The color pattern for the coastal carpet python is quite varied. The pattern is comprised of dark and pale elements, darkest dorsally, becoming more pale on the lower side. The dark pattern elements are colored greenish olive, brownish olive, brown, bronze, reddish brown, or brownish terra cotta. The pale pattern elements are typically colored tan, yellowish-tan, various shades of putty, or brown. The shape of the patterns can also vary widely even with species from the same area.
South Western Carpet Python	Morelia spilota imbricata	1.2 - 2.0m (4' - 7')	Most are green-black in colour, but they do vary. They are characterised by an imbricate pattern, hence their scientific name.
Murray Darling Carpet Python	Morelia spilota metcalfie	1.2 - 1.8m (4-6 feet), some can get to 2.46m (8 feet)	This is a smallish race with an unusually even temperament. Usually distinguishable by its creamy coloration around the head. They have patches of red (northern range) and grey-white on bark and sometimes have a blue-grey (southern range) appearance.

Snakes in the Carpet python family are a semi-arboreal snake is found throughout most of Australia and New Guinea. They can be found in a number of different habitats across Australia ranging from floodplains and rainforests(Morelia spilota cheynei and mcdowelli) to open woodlands and rocky mountain ranges (Morelia spilota imbricata) in dry forest areas of Australia. These secretive snakes likes to hide. They may be found sheltering in hollow logs, caves or other rock crevices, tree hollows or disused burrows.

These snakes will become tame with regular handling. When young, carpet pythons are highly sensitive to potential threats. Therefore, some individuals may bite if they feel threatened, particularly when the animal is young. 

Cage Requirements:
Carpet Pythons are given their size very powerful animals and as such their cages must be built to withstand considerable force. All doors and lids to the enclosure should be very strongly built and be able to withstand the considerable force.

As a minimum the enclosure should measure 1.2m x 1.2m x 0.6m (4ft x 4ft x 2ft) for the smalled species and 2m x 1.2m x 0.6m (7ft x 4ft x 2ft) for the larger species. Several hide boxes should be included. These can included hollow logs as well as a standard box made of plywood or plastic or even a ceramic pot. The opening has to be just large enough for the snake to get inside after a meal. The boxes should be placed in a variety of placed in the cage, eg. on the floor, attached to the roof, in a branch, away from the heat source, close to the heat source. As the species is semi-arboreal, branches are a must, so provide lots of climbing areas, branches, logs, plants.

Provide a large drinking bowl. These snakes also enjoy soaking in their water dish. A water bowl large enough for the python to soak in is ideal but unfortunately is often impractical. Daily misting is always a good way to increase humidity for the more tropical species such as the Jungle Carpet. 

Food :
Carpet Pythons will happily eat mice, rats rabbits, day old chickens and any other mammals it can get its mouth around. Feeding should occur every two weeks with adults and weekly for juveniles.Juveniles feed well on pink/ fuzzy mice.

In the wild carpet pythons eat all sorts of small mammels, these includes brushtail possums, brown bandicoots, rats, and bats.

Temperature:
Having a heat gradient between 25°C to 30°C (75°F-85°F) . during the day with a basking site of about 90-100°F. will work very well for most specimens. Night temperatures should range between 75-80°F. Provide moderate levels of humidity for these snakes.

A basking light should be directed towards a large rock or at a suitable distance from a branch to provide a "hot spot" within the enclosure. This basking light should also be connected to a timer to allow for night time cooling and the timer adjusted seasonally. With large temperate /sub tropical species such as Coastal Carpet pythons a 12 hour day / night cycle for Summer reduced to 8 hour day cycle for Spring and Autumn and 5 hours a day basking in Winter works for me. Photoperiod can be provided by a skylight or nearby window. Where possible the basking light should be screened so the snake is not able to burn itself.

Life span:
Carpet pythons typically live to be between 20 and 30 years old in captivity.

Breeding:
Carpet pythons generally reach sexual maturity at 2.5 to 3 years of age,depending on your feeding regime.  Mating occurs after Winter cooling. Males and females should be housed separately except for during the breeding season which starts at the end of Winter.

Combat can occur between adult males in spring. Male aggregation and combat has been observed in Scrub Pythons, Diamond Pythons and Carpet Pythons. In the wild, small numbers of Carpet Pythons can sometimes be seen congregating for this purpose and will fight daily. During combat, the pythons will wrestle by intertwining their bodies around each other, each trying to raise their head above the other, sometimes more than a metre off the ground. Although largely ritual, snakes may savagely attack and bite one another, causing severe lacerations. In captivity this can sometimes lead to death.

Some breeders feel it is important to have multiple males introducted to the female to induce combat behaviour which in turn stimulates copulation. Other feel that males can be introduced seperately to females on a "week on week off" basis. Which ever method is used the male and female pythons should be watched closely, particularly if multiple males are involved.

Once the female has mated successfully, she will bask with a section of her belly directed towards the light, she may also refuse food. If your female is observed basked belly up under a basking light, you can be slmost sure that she is gravid (pregnant). Other signs include, a dramatic change in colour, or darkening.

Gravid females should be able to bask in temperatures around 33°C to 40°C. Ovulation is when the eggs move down the body creating a visible lump (like a food lump) for up to 24 hours. About 20 days after ovulation the female will shed her skin. About 25 days after she has shed her skin, she will lays her eggs. Between 2 to 40 eggs can be layed in each clutch, depending on the species involved.

The average incubation time is 45-55 days, however occassionally incubation can last up to 15 weeks. If the eggs are left with the female she will coils herself around the eggs, guarding them from predators and maintaining the proper temperatureand humidity that the eggs require. If the temperature becomes too cold the female python will 'shiver' to produce additional heat. Alternatively, if the eggs become too warm, the female may move the eggs to a cooler position or lift them off the ground. If the eggs are removed from the female, they need to be placed in a container with a layer of damp vermiculite, and then placed in an incubator at a constant temperature of between 30°C - 32°C (86°F - 91°F).

Female pythons will often lose up to half their body weight during pregnancy and incubation. Females normally will not eat while they are pregnant or while they are incubating their eggs.

Monaro Amphibian & Reptile Keepers (MARK)
Meeting Venue: BURNS CLUB
8 Kett St., Kambah ACT
2nd Wednesday of each month at 7:30pm

Herps Info |  Next Meeting |  Information Sheets |  Links |  Care Sheets