Morelia spilota harisson (Carpet python)

Origin: It is the only carpet python that lives outside Australia. Their habitat is the island of New Guinea, north of Australia. They usually live in dry savannas and eucalyptus forests.

Length: 1.50 to 1.80 meters, one of the smallest carpet python species.
Lifespan: up to 20 years
Their bodies display brown bands with beige to yellow areas in between, surrounded by black outlines.

Care
Experience: Average snake keeper
Food: Live or dead prey animals. The primary prey animals to be fed are mice and rats.

Feeding adults: every 14 days.
Feeding juveniles: Every 7 days
Water bowl: Yes
Water change: 3 times a week
Feeding
There is a choice to offer the prey animals live or dead. However, it is recommended to offer dead prey animals. This is more practical and prevents the prey animal from injuring your snake. Additionally, it is advised to offer the prey animal using 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 grabbing your hand during feeding. If you do choose live food, you must supervise during feeding. The prey animal can injure the snake. If you keep the carpet python together with other snakes, you will need to separate them before feeding; this prevents the snakes from injuring each other during feeding. Water

The water bowl is naturally used for drinking, but they also use it for bathing. For this reason, the water bowl must be large enough for the snake to lie in it with its entire body. Because the snake lies in the water bowl, the water will become contaminated somewhat faster; for this reason, the water must be changed regularly. We advise changing the water if the contamination level is high.

Cleaning
To prevent health problems in your snake, the enclosure must be cleaned regularly. This prevents the accumulation of harmful substances and diseases. It is recommended to clean the enclosure once a week. Additionally, to prevent the buildup of bacteria, the entire enclosure must be cleaned and disinfected a few times a year.

Handling
To perform any handling with the snake, it must be handled. They are usually calm snakes, but certain things must be taken into account during handling. When handling your snake, use a snake hook or lift it with two hands. Do not hang your snake around your neck; this is because if the snake falls, it will constrict around your neck. There are some important things to keep in mind when handling this species. First, ensure that your snake realizes you are going to handle it and move calmly when doing so. Also, make sure your hands are washed and do not smell of 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: 150 x 60 x 80
Lying surface area: 1 m² with at least one raised platform per snake large enough for the entire snake to lie on.

Daytime temperature on the warm side: 32-35°C
Daytime temperature on the cooler side: 22-24°C
Nighttime temperature: 20-22°C
Hours of light: 12 hours
Humidity: 75%-80%
Substrate: Bark or peat moss
Furnishings
These animals live in forests and inhabit the trees high up. To recreate this in their enclosure, they need various raised platforms to lie on. They also need climbing opportunities, which can be provided in the form of climbing branches. If you offer them enough climbing spots and elevations, they will also spend most of their time off the ground. This is an important factor to consider when choosing an enclosure. Higher is preferable to a larger surface area. In addition to climbing, they really enjoy bathing, so they need a water bowl large enough to lie in.

There are a few extra things to keep in mind regarding the enclosure. For example, the animals are quite good at escaping, so care must be taken to ensure they cannot simply open their door. Furthermore, ventilation is necessary to keep the air fresh, and it is advisable to place the enclosure out of direct sunlight and as vibration-free as possible.

Behavior
Hunting method: Constrictor.
Lifestyle: Semi-arboreal & nocturnal
Character
Calm animals that are usually good-natured. This makes them easy to handle and excellent pets. Young specimens can be defensive.
Points of attention
These animals are constrictors and can eat prey larger than their head. Therefore, keep in mind that you should not leave them alone with small children or pets.

Costs and Purchase

Legislation: The jungle carpet python falls under CITES II; to own this snake, you need CITES or transfer papers. You should receive these upon purchase.

One-off costs: These include the costs for the enclosure, lighting, heating, water bowl, and decoration. Together, these can cost anywhere from 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 cost of food, which is a few tens of euros per year.

Unexpected costs: Costs are incurred if your snake happens to become ill or your equipment breaks down.