Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am thinking about buying a pair of jungle carpet pythons but I read that they like to bite, especially when they are young. Does anyone have any experience raising these snakes and can comment? I have been biten by my boa and that didn't hurt even though it drew blood. Do JCP bites hurt more and BCI's? I am used to boas (BCI) and corn snakes and I'd rather avoid a bad tempered snake.

Thank you for your thoughts!

I don't consider them nippy. A lot of juvi snakes are nippy, regardless of what they are. With gentle interaction, they become very calm in little time. All snakes are different though. Bo

Animals, particularily lower vertebrates, bite in defence. If the snake gets the impression it has to defend itself, it will bit. That's the mechanism nature gave it.

Don't make the snake feel like it has to be defensive, and it won't bite you.
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I think they're pretty tameable, and the bites don't hurt anymore than BCI bites. I'm sure the bite from an adult would be at least a little memorable.

They can be nippy for a while, but calm down with frequent handling. I got a hatchling about a month ago and it bit me the first day and thats it. This approach has helped me calm and not get bitten by hatchlins. I just keep my fingers together and flatten my hand. I lower it down over their head. They usually look a little on edge but cant really find a surface to strike at so they just bury their heads half the time. I then just scoop them up. I think if you are very deliberate have the time they dont have time to react.
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"Victory is reserved for those willing to pay its price"

I agree they can be nippy as hatchling, and my IJCP's bit for the first week or two. After handling them often they calmed down and now one of them only bites when my hands smell like my min pin! Like someone else said it is all in defense and you need to avoid making them feel defensive.

i've had my 3 yr old JCP for a bit over 6 months now, and he's managed to bite me twice. both were solid hits, but it felt no worse than when a 5' boa got me.
my snake was almost never handled until i got him. i'm not gonna go and tell you i can pick him up now with no problems, but as long as i'm careful picking him up, and don't stick my hand in front of him, he's ok. not perfect, but with consistant handling he'll calm down into a nice adult.

i also feed him outside his cage, which i would recommend if you're getting a 'nippy' snake. i would also recommend getting it young, so you don't plunge into handling a sub-adult, like i did.

mind you, every snake is different. you could wind up with the calmest JCP in the world.

good luck to you, and i say go for it!