Jungle carpet python

[ballpython2]

I'm so exicted, next week I'll be getting me a male jungle carpet python. I have wanted one of these beautiful pythons for the longest time and next week I'll be getting one...

I have a questions (Even though I been researching these beauties for quite some time..double checking)

I have two tanks I can use a 29 and 55 gallon which one should I use?

He is a yearling. He hatched out last year on April 25th.

also, I'm much caring about have it eat rats or mice...I just want to know how many mice per week will I have to give this guy if he is an juvenile or sub adult ..2 or 3 mice right?..


and handling..I know these are fiesty characters so the more I handle it the more docile it may or may not become correct?

any more information besides what I'm looking for from these questions is greatly appreciated and so are pictures of your jungle carpets and their enclosures.

Thanks very much

 

[Penna]

I have an IJ carpet python and it is one of the tamest snakes I have ever owned. You would probably be better off feeding it 1 small rat per week as opposed to a few mice. Also I'd give him the larger tank because they are semi-arboreal (mine is practically fully) and its just cooler to see them grab a snack and pull it up into the air. As per size of prey it really depends on the snake. Rats are better than mice and 1 large prey item is better than multiple smalls. Good luck and enjoy him! one of my favorite snakes!

 

[ballpython2]

I have an IJ carpet python and it is one of the tamest snakes I have ever owned. You would probably be better off feeding it 1 small rat per week as opposed to a few mice. Also I'd give him the larger tank because they are semi-arboreal (mine is practically fully) and its just cooler to see them grab a snack and pull it up into the air. As per size of prey it really depends on the snake. Rats are better than mice and 1 large prey item is better than multiple smalls. Good luck and enjoy him! one of my favorite snakes!

why are rats better than mice?...because they have more meat their body even at young ages?

I emailed the breeder and he told me "He is eating f/t large rat pinkies and/or small rat fuzzies (what some people call peach fuzzies). "

So I'm going to buy some large rat fuzzies from rodent pro and i should be all set.

 

[Penna]

why are rats better than mice?...because they have more meat their body even at young ages?

they have more nutriton value than mice and when your carpet python is 6' and needs 10 mice to fill him its just more cost effective. plus its easiler for them to digest 1 prey item. i'd try to get him on rats as soon as possible

 

[Avic_Addict]

they have more nutriton value than mice

Not true I'm afraid, mice are more nutritious as they have more complex proteins and less fat than rats. Also, the pelt on a rat is tougher to digest compared to that on a mouse as it is thicker and coarser. I have a table of the proximate analysis of vertebrate prey used to feed snakes with information on their water, fat, protein and vitamin contents provided by the British Small Animal Veterinary Association. I cannot post it here due to copyright restrictions but if anyone wants a copy drop me an IM and I'll forward it to you.

 

[Penna]

http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/zoo/WholePreyFinal02May29.pdf


I was under the impression that Rats have a higher bone density which give them additional nutritional value and that mice had more hair and less meat than rats.

 

[Avic_Addict]

I was under the impression that Rats have a higher bone density which give them additional nutritional value and that mice had more hair and less meat than rats.

The data provided in this proximate analysis is slightly different to that in the table I have, probably due to the fact that this analysis was carried out on a Dry Matter (%DM basis), which is generally less statistically reliable than wet analysis and would so provide different results. Rats do indeed have a higher bone density but this does not necessarily mean they are more nutritious - just that they contain more calcium. For smaller snakes this isn't required and can actually contribute to the development of renal and hepatic pathologies and uroliths. It is only when you start dealing with large boids of 7ish feet plus that this extra calcium content becomes significant as these larger snakes require considerably more robust skeletal development in order to support their own bodyweight. Also, larger boids are more prone to developing secondary nutritional hyperparathyroidism as a result of inadequate dietary calcium.
By 'meat' I assume you mean muscle-based protein? Rats do have more of it simply because they are bigger in mass than mice, but due to structural differences in the types of muscle fibres the protein from mouse meat is easier to digest and metabolise and therefore, weight-for-weight, mouse flesh is considered most nutritious. As for the fur aspect, if you held a rat in one hand and a mouse in the other it should be fairly apparent that the rat has a denser pelt consisting of thicker and more coarse hair than the mouse. These thicker hair filaments are harder to digest and may be regurgitated as felt, whereas the mouse’s thinner coat is easily stripped away during digestion.

 

[ballpython2]

they have more nutriton value than mice and when your carpet python is 6' and needs 10 mice to fill him its just more cost effective. plus its easiler for them to digest 1 prey item. i'd try to get him on rats as soon as possible

You could have missed what I said:

"I emailed the breeder and he told me "He is eating f/t large rat pinkies and/or small rat fuzzies (what some people call peach fuzzies). " So I'm going to buy some large rat fuzzies from rodent pro and i should be all set.
"

 

[ZooRex]

I kept my JCP in a 29 for a year, and then moved him to a 40Bdr. Also before you start him on mice, see if he'll take a rat pup, this way you won't have to switch when hes larger. For a really extensive carpet caresheet checkout www.acreptiles.com ~ Rex

 

[Beardo]

Its better to have the snake eating rats simply because rats are much larger than mice....having a 6-7 foot snake and feeding it mice is not exactly ideal.