Morelia spilota mcdowelli (Eastern, coastal, or McDowell's carpet python)

Origin: North-East coast of Australia and New Guinea
Length: 2.7 to 3.0 meters
Age: up to 20 years
The body of the coastal carpet python is generally an olive brown or tan color with lighter spots or stripes.

Care
Experience: Average hose holder
Food: Live or dead prey. Main prey animals are mice and rats.
Adult feeding: every 7 to 10 days. Young carpet pythons can be fed once a week.
Feeding young: Every 5 to 6 days
Water bowl: Yes
Water change: 3 times a week

Nutrition
There is the choice to present the prey alive or dead. Although it is advisable to offer your coastal carpet python dead prey. This is more practical and prevents the food animal from injuring your snake. It is also advised to offer the food animal with feeding tongs and to feed your snake outside the enclosure. This ensures that your hand is not associated with food and prevents your snake from reaching for your hand while feeding. If you do go for live food, you must supervise the feeding. The prey animal can injure the snake. If you keep the carpet python together with other snakes, you will have to take them apart before feeding, this prevents the snakes from injuring each other during feeding.

Water
The water bowl is of course used for drinking, but coastal carpet pythons also use it for bathing. For this reason, the water bowl must be large enough for the snake to lie in with its entire body. Because the hose is in the water tank, the water will become polluted faster, for this reason the water must be changed regularly. We advise to change the water if the pollution is high.

Cleaning
To prevent health problems for your snake, the enclosure must be cleaned on a regular basis. This prevents the accumulation of harmful substances and diseases. It is recommended to clean the accommodation once a week. In order to prevent the build-up of bacteria, the entire accommodation must be cleaned and disinfected a few times a year.

Handling
To perform handling with the hose, the hose must be handled. Coastal carpet pythons are usually calm snakes, but there are certain things to be aware of when handling. If your snake is handling use a snake hook or lift it with both hands. Do not hang your snake around your neck, this is because if the snake falls it will clamp itself around your neck. There are some important things to keep in mind when handling a coastal carpet python. First, make sure that your snake realizes that you are going to handle it and move slowly when handling it. Also make sure your hands are washed and don't smell of food. Finally, do not handle your snake when it is molting and do not handle it in the dark.

Housing
Minimum enclosure size for 1 hose: 150 x 60 x 100
Lying area: 1m2 with at least one raised lounger per hose on which the entire hose can lie.
Day temperature: 29-32C
Night temperature: 20-23C
Hours of light: 12 hours
Humidity: 75%-80%
Ground cover: Newspapers, bark or peat litter

Design
The coastal carpet python is a coastal resident, so they often lie on the ground, sometimes in branches and trees. To recreate this in their enclosure, they need several raised platforms to lie on. They also need climbing opportunities, which can be offered in the form of climbing branches. If you offer him enough climbing spots and elevation, he will also spend most of his time off the ground. This is important to take into account when choosing where to stay. Rather higher than a larger surface. In addition to climbing, they like to bathe, so they need a water bowl big enough for the carpet python to lie in.

Before the stay there are some extra things to pay attention to. The coastal carpet python, for example, are quite good at escaping and it will have to be ensured that they cannot just open their door. In addition, ventilation is needed to keep the air fresh and it is recommended that the accommodation is kept out of the bright sun and as vibration-free as possible.

Behaviour
Hunting method: Strangler snake.
Lifestyle: day & night active

Character
Calm animals that are usually in a good mood. This makes them easy to handle and excellent pets. Young specimens can be defensive.

Points of attention
The Coastal Carpet Python is a strangler snake and can eat prey larger than its head. Therefore, keep in mind that you do not leave him alone with small children or pets. This is because he can also mistake these for prey.

Cost and Purchase
Legislation: The coastal carpet python falls under CITES II, to own this snake you need CITES or transfer papers. You should receive this with the purchase.
One-off costs: This includes the costs for accommodation, lighting, heating, water bowl and decoration. This can together cost a few hundred euros to a few thousand euros. The final amount depends on the quality and size of the products.
Fixed costs: Fixed costs include the costs for the feed, which is several tens of euros per year.
Unexpected costs: Costs have been incurred when your hose happens to get sick or your equipment breaks down.