Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I might be getting a Jungle carpet sometime this year, so I need some "begginers info" help...
I looked through some of the old posts to help me a little, but I still have a few questions...
What should I look for when getting a snake (in general, and specifically JCPs)??
Is it easy to tell a jungle from a coastal, IJ, etc? I just want to make sure that when I get my jungle carpet that it actually IS a jc.. I'm assuming whoever I buy it from WILL know, but incase they tell me its something that its not, i'd like to know.
Besides the nippyness, does it matter getting a hatchling as compared to a little bit older one (yearling +)?
Do JCPs have specific UV requirements?
I think thats it, thank you for any help!!!!!!!!

The most important decision is going to be who to buy from. Try to do some research on the web and check out sites of various breeders and try to find some feedback on them. Also, contact them in person and let them know what you want, expect, and are willing to pay for. There are reputable breeders around that will sell you very nice JCP's and others will call it a JCP if that's what you want it to be just so they can get rid of it. Ask for pics of the adults and the offspring for sale. Don't really worry about telling the difference between the subspecies, some coastals and jungles do look similar when very young because they do share a common range in North Queensland. You can tell if they are jungles by looking at the parents. Mature Coastals and Jungles usually differ greatly, so look at the parents not the babies.

Most jungle babies will shortly leave behind any defensive behavior even if not handled that often. I just got one in that is very small and it has yet to show any signs of aggression, but they are all different. If they're small, just take the hit...it's not bad at all. They require no UV, but it could improve the appearance of the snake in an artificial enclosure.

....to include some breeders that either I myself recommend, or have had very easy transactions with, and their animals are superior. Will Leary www.reptilicusreptiles.net, Matt Turner www.selectiveorigins.com, Tim Schroeder, Will Bird(Extroadinary Ectotherms), and sveral more work with other ssp. like coastals and Irian Jayas.....www.acreptiles.com, Yasser www.spitfirereptiles.com. The list could go on, but that's a great place to start.

wow.. I keep trying to reply, and my message gets messed up...
anyway.. thanks for the help!!!!!!!!
I was thinking of getting one nearby, reptile store/show.... but the sites you sent look really good, so I definitly will keep looking a lot more, and I will try to get over my thing of wanting to see/hold them in person before I buy :/

I was going to try to get a male. Do temperments for these snakes differ a lot between male/female?
Also, I looked at a young jcp that was verryy agressive... i thought just because it was young, but the people who had it said they've never had one this "bad"... does breeding play a big part in thier temperments, OR is it pretty much the individual?
Thanks again!!!!

>>I was going to try to get a male. Do temperments for these snakes differ a lot between male/female?
>>Also, I looked at a young jcp that was verryy agressive... i thought just because it was young, but the people who had it said they've never had one this "bad"... does breeding play a big part in thier temperments, OR is it pretty much the individual?
>>Thanks again!!!!

Good questions. Um, just to warn you, this reply is mostly guesswork on my part.

I don't know of a difference in temperments between male and female JCPs. The females grow bigger by a foot or two, but that's the only difference I know of and isn't temperment related.

Regarding the youngster you met being very agressive, the two youngsters I saw up close and personal were homicidal maniacs. (I'm sure they just saw it as self defense against something scary 100 times their size) I think they just mellow with consistent gentle handling.

With breeding and temperment, I guess it's just the old nature/nurture debate. All snakes are individuals of course and a hellion and a sweetheart may come from the same litter and background. That being said, I'd be leery of a youngster with unhandleable parents.

Hope this helps. Good luck and hope you find a really cool snake!
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0.2 chickens
0.2 dog mutts (half ownership, only mine when they misbehave)
0.1 Halflinger horse
0.0 Arizona Mountain Kingsnake (coming soon)
1.1 parents
Still searching for 1.0 WC human

Thanks! If I get one, which probably wont be for a few months at least, I’ll post some pics..
Anyway…
the young aggressive JCP that I saw was from someone that I thought I might get a snake from, (I guess just because they were close?) so I’m thinking not anymore…
maybe I’ll check them out more just for fun, and to check out some of the parents/ breeders..…. But I haven’t really heard anything very good (or bad) about them either
aanndd after looking further, there seems to be a lot better options anyway so I’d rather get one from someone that I know a lot of people have been really happy with….

Maybe I’ll post the temperament question again ^---- up at the top so more people can see it, but your probably right in that both just play into it
But I’m still wondering if who I get if from will be a BIIGG part of getting an easier to handle snake, even if I get it young and work with it a lot…