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I recently built a arboreal enclosure to keep my JCP's in but I am not sure if I am happy with it. It seems as though my snakes are clumsy?? The cage is 4' high by 4'long by 2'feet deep with a shelf that runs along half of it. I worked really hard on gettng temps correct but I finally managed too, so anyways I put my pair of JCP's in it and I find they fall off the shelf fairly often, it doesn't seem to phase them and they get right back up there. Now to the question... Is a fall from approximetly 20" going to injure my snake? I have thought of putting a lip on the edge of the shelf that they would have to crawl over to get down. Should I modify the cage like this?I have added a picture of a portion of the cage for informational
purposes. TIA Chris

Yes, I think installing a lip on the edge of the shelf would probably help to give them a better grip while climbing. Falling from that height can certainly injure them. In fact, that's exactly how the JCP pictured on the cover of the Barkers book (Pythons of the World) died. He was stretched across the top lip of a Vision cage (over the sliding doors) when he fell off and broke some vertebrae. True story.
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Will Leary
Reptilicus Reptiles
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Is that cage too large?

What should be the dimensions for a JCP adult?

(How much was that cage, by the way?)
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Thanks,
Dan from Long Island

the cage is quite much larger then it needs to be but it is in my living room and I wanted it to be a centerpiece of the room, it is actually bigger then my entertainment center. I built it myself from 2x4 pine with a groove cut in it to slide the plexi-glass in. After assembly none of the plexiglass slides except for the door, wish I could explain better how it is constructed maybe I can get some pictures of the actual construction posted later, it wasn't hard to build and except for the heating system wasn't too costly.(with the height of the cage being 4 feet I needed to install several heat tapes and basking bulbs to keep the heat constant.

Chris,
I have an Irian Jaya x Diamond Carpet cross (she was about a month old when I got her, she's now six). These are CARPET pythons - think floor, as in terrestrial! I keep mine in a large boa cage with nothing higher than her hide box, which is about 10-12 inches tall. As babies they're alright with branches etc, but as adults they're more like the rock pythons so keep them on the floor if you want to keep them in one piece.

One thing I know for a fact is that carpet pythons were named for their pattern, not because they are terrestrial snakes. Jungles as well as most carpets are semi-arboreal snakes, meaning they spend time on the ground as well as in trees.Here are some pictures of various jungles of various ages climbing trees and vines at a well known breeder's facility. just cut and paste the link:

http://www.pythons.com/hamper/carpet.html

I also want to thank Will Learyfrom Reptilicus Reptiles for showing some care and resposibility in his reply. He was not downgrading or demeaning and gave me the answer I needed.If you would like to see the reptiles I keep or have kept in the past please Click the link below
CjinNH's herps

Jungle Carpet Pythons are extremly similar to the green tree python. What probably happened is during evolution, some decided to get up in the tree tops and develop to eating birds while others decided to stay lower and become more terrestrial. However they WILL climb a lot!

I think a 4x2x4 cage will be great, my only problem would be heating one that large.

Now to answer your question. What you do for green tree pythons cages is put some perches that run lengthwise. If you put that in there, they would be all over them. I wouldn't have done a ledge, personally. Try putting a 2x2 strip along the edge and wrap it in astroturf also, then put a bed of aspen or cypress or whatever over that to absorb the feces and such.

what i did for perches is take some 2" pvc and burned it with a cheapo propane torch and then screwed it in. thats what i'd do with you.

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-Chris

0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat
1.0 Black Rat
0.1 Vietnamese Blue Beauty
1.0 Green Tree Python
0.1 Texas Bairds Rat

The educated are the few. The uneducated are the masses.

North American Rat / Corn Snake Care Sheet

That is interesting...the burned PVC pipe. I had not thought of that. I don't use PVC, but I might consider doing that. How long did you wait before putting the pipe into an enclosure? As I am sure that it must emit some noxious vapors.

Thanks for the new ideas.

Matt

I'd wait at least a week or two. Make SURE you don't inhale the odors when you burn the pipe, they are highly toxic.

this is a picture i just took tonight... i was feeding my others and one refused her fuzzy and i didnt want it to go to waste so i figured id let monty eat it. took it in his mouth like a cigar.

but it shows the perches also

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-Chris

0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat
1.0 Black Rat
0.1 Vietnamese Blue Beauty
1.0 Green Tree Python
0.1 Texas Bairds Rat

The educated are the few. The uneducated are the masses.

North American Rat / Corn Snake Care Sheet