Simalia amethistina (Amethist python)

Origin: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia
Length: 4 to 6 meters
Age: up to 20 years
The Amethyst python has a cream color base. With a green brown pattern. The scales have a rainbow glow

Grooming
Experience: Experienced snake keeper
Food: Live or dead prey. Main prey animals are mice and rats.
Feed adult: every 7 to 14 days.
Feed young: once a week
Water bowl: Yes
Change water: 3 times a week

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

Water
The water bowl is of course used for drinking, but Amethyst pythons also use it for bathing. For this reason, the water bowl must be large enough for the hose to lie in it with its entire body. Because the hose is in the water basin, the water will be polluted a bit 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 with your snake, the enclosure must be cleaned regularly. This prevents the accumulation of harmful substances and diseases. It is advisable to clean the accommodation once a week. In addition, to prevent the build-up of bacteria, the entire accommodation must be cleaned and disinfected a few times a year.

Handling
To feed the Amethyst python and to clean the enclosure you will have to handle the snake. When handling your hose, use a hose hook or lift it with both hands. Do not hang your snake around your neck, this is because if the snake falls it will soon clamp itself around your neck. There are some important things to keep in mind when handling an Amethyst python. First make sure your snake understands that you are going to handle it and move gently when you handle it. Also make sure your hands are washed and don't smell like food. Finally, do not handle your snake when it is shedding and do not handle it in the dark.

Housing
Minimum enclosure size for 1 snake: 300 x 100 x 200
Laying area: 1m2 with at least one raised lying board per hose on which the entire hose can lie.
Day temperature: 29-32C
Night temperature: 20-23C
Hours of light: 12 hours
Humidity degree: 75% -80%
Ground cover: Newspapers, bark or peat litter
Design
The Amethyst python is a resident of the tropical rainforest and lives up there in the trees. To mimic this in their enclosure, they need several elevated platforms to lie on. In addition to these plateaus, they have climbing options, which can be offered in the form of climbing branches. If you offer him enough climbing places and elevation, it will also take most of the time off the ground. This is important to consider when choosing your accommodation. Rather a higher than a larger surface. In addition to climbing, they also love to bathe, so they need a water bowl, big enough for the Amethyst python to lie in.

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

Behaviour
Hunting method: Strangulation snake.
Lifestyle: Semi-arboreal & nocturnal
Character
Calm animals that are usually in a good mood. This makes them easy to handle and great pets. Juveniles can be defensive.
Points of attention
The Amethyst python is a choke snake and can eat prey larger than its head. Therefore, keep in mind that you do not leave it alone with small children or pets. This is because it can also mistake it for prey.

Costs and Purchase
Legislation: The Amethyst python falls under CITES II, to own this snake you need CITES or transfer papers. You should get this with the purchase.
One-off costs: This includes the costs for the accommodation, lighting, heating, water bowl and decoration. All together this can cost a few hundred euros to a few thousand euros. The final amount depends on the quality and size