Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i am getting a hatchling jungle carpet python. how do i make a cage for him out of a plastic container? where do i buy them? how do i set up the uv light?

I have been seeing you post here for a while and I have to ask, what are you doing buying a python, or a pair, talking about breeding them and not even having a cage made, or bought for them yet? I dont want to be a jerk but why would you buy something that your not even prepared to house? I keep my carpets in cages that I made using high impact styrene that are no less than 3 feet long, by two feet deep. Unless you are an avid do it yourselfer I would recommend picking up a good cage from vision, boaphile, etc. It sounds as if you would benefit from some additional research.

Again, I am sorry if I came off as a jerk, but you are coming off as very inexperienced like you should perhaps do some reading and talk to a breeder before you jump into something too fast.
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"Victory is reserved for those willing to pay its price"

look man plans change i had a cage setup all ready but it tured out to be to big. i am get a rubber made container and want to from expeirence how to make it for a hatchling hungle carpet python? damn will leary told me to get a smaller cage and thats what i'm doing.

Again I am sorry if I sounded like a jerk, just want you to have everything ready so the snake has a good place to hang out. Will is correct, a cage that is two big may lead to feeding/stress problems. Mine do best in regular sterilite tubs for the first year or so, depending on how big they get. The tubs are about two feet deep by 16 inches wide by six inches tall, roughly of course and they are all in a rack that is heated from the back. They seem to be very secure and have no problem eating in there.

I am not sure how you would light a set up like this, but if you are really concerned about it you may just want to buy or make a smaller cage. Something with nice and cozy dimensions so the snake feels safe. Sorry if I pissed you off, guess I jumped to conclusions.
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"Victory is reserved for those willing to pay its price"

it's all good thnks for the info i think i'll just go get a small cage like a 10 gallon tall cage will be ok.

My advice is to not use a 10 gallon aquarium. I have never had much luck with them. Newborns feel more secure in plastic that is not completely clear. Also aquariums dont hold humidity well and a plastic tub will hold humidity. Cleaning a plastic tub is also a snap. Buy a plastic tub with a secure lid and burn small holes with a sottering iron, or drill holes if the plastic can handle it without cracking. Heat it with a small undertank heater and make sure you monitor your temps. This is a cheap, easy, and effective way to house a hatchling jungle.

Good luck,

Jaremy
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I agree 100%. Plastic sweater boxes are the best all around enclosures for hatchling and young snakes in general. Most people do not want to hear this because they bought the snake for display. My advice is do what's best for the animal. Soon enough it will be established and ready for an large open enclosure. If you have to have something on display buy more snakes. It helps keep your mind off having to see the little ones to often reducing stress.

Snakes don't require UV light or use it to produce calcium. Therefore most people don't use them. It won't hurt if you do, it's just a bit of an unecessary expense. I just heat my plastic cages with undertank heaters connected to thermostats.

If you go to the petstore, in the bird section they'll usually have natural wood perches with a big screw driven through them and a sort of bolt at the end. If you have a sturdy plastic cage, you can drill a hole through the side and attach the perch. My JCP's spend all day acting like GTP's curled up on their branch, and it's kind of fun. If you can't do this right away, it's not a big deal, just thought I'd give you the idea. It's really fun to feed off tongs them while they're on the branch and watch them swallow the food upside down.
They like hideboxes too, though, so make sure to have one of those. I'm currently using Count Chocula, but your baby might be more along the lines of Nutrigrain bars. Er.. unless you want a naturalistic one .

I used a enclosure exactly like Keoni's for my hatcling Irian Jaya and also put in a perch like the one you described. It was only a few inches of the ground but worked great and he preferred to perch there and feed from the perch as you described. It was cool.
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Go to this site for housing chondros , I use a rubbermaid 2223 and a pro-products heat panel bolted to the lid instead . http://www.chondroweb.com/fineGTPs/cagingbabies.htm

Derek

that what i needed thank you everyone good luck on your project
from alex

A i might be young but i know a little more than the basics and i am reading and learning new things every day. oh an by the way i'm 16 and i have a learning disability no i'm not retarded. i just can't spell for [bleep]!

You're definitely asking all the right questions. You're on the right track. And you've found a great Morelia forum! You are in good hands (heh heh).

We'll make sure your Carpet experiences are good ones. Not to worry!
www.jefffavelle.com

Hi.

If you can, put a perch in the enclosure. It can be a simple branch mounted horizontally across the inside, a few inches off the bottom. Your baby will use it a lot.

I just got a small yearling female JCP and she stays on the perch all the time. Same thing with my adult IJs -- ever since they were babies they used their perches.

When you move the JCP to a larger enclosure just put in a larger perch, or a couple of them.

Bill

would a zoo med 40 wat red night light be good for a plastic tub?

I can't say; I only use radiant heat panels. I have them in different sizes for different size cages - the largest being 18 x 24" in a 6-foot Neodesha.

My little yearling JCP is in a 10-gallon aquarium that's heated by a 6x12" radiant heat panel mounted to the inside of the screen top at one end. I have a horizontal perch lengthwise across the middle of the tank, and she stays on the cool end of the perch during the day and moves to the warm end (under the heat panel) at dusk.

I raised up my two IJs in identical 10-gallon aquarium setups. When they were big enough I put them into 3-foot slanted Neodesha cages heated with 12x12" heat panels.

I love the heat panels. They don't give off any light, they heat the air in the cage (unlike a uth) as well as provide a nice large basking area, they're safe, they can be used with a nighttime-drop proportional thermostat (like Herp Power), and they don't burn out like a bulb. Of course the radiant heat panels cost more, but since I don't have a specially-heated herp room I wouldn't want to heat a cage any other way.

Bill

Simply put 1/3 of a Rubbermaid over a heat pad (human or reptile) and get the temperatures to 90F warm end nd 80F cool end. If the snake wants to be 90F it can. If it doesn't, it doesn't have to. Its all about choice and you should let the snake be the one to make it.

Everyone's house is different and is at different temperatures so not everyone will have the EXACT same setup. Buy yourself 2 thermometers and an adequately-sized Rubbermaid. Make it so there is a spot that's 90F and a spot that's 80F at the opposite end. Put in hides in both the warm and cool ends. How you do it does not matter. Point is, do it! And do it at leats 7-10 days BEFORE you get the snake to ensure that temps are stable and that you won't be cooking the snake.
www.jefffavelle.com