Too Many Questions...

[NSavage]

Hi Everyone! I'm so glad to have found this website! i have noone to get really good advice from and i have a heap of questions that i need to ask and i've finally found a place where i can get answers from people with lots of experience.
First i'll explain my setup I have a Coastal Carpet Python that i bought about 10 months ago. The snake appears to be extremely healthy and eats well in fact he/she eats small adult mice already without any problems. I live in the Adelaide Hill and it is a little cold here so i use a 150 watt ceramic Heat Wave Lamp from exoterra at one end of the vivarium i have the thermostat set at around 28 degrees for the lamp mounted dead centre at the back of the cage and also have a heat mat with it's own thermostat set at about 25 degrees sitting on top of it. I have a digital thermometer that reads the temparature at the same place as the thermostat for the heat lamp and the ambient temperature is generally between 26 and 30 degrees. I have covered the vents so that i have only one vent measuring approx 13cm by 9 cm at the top of the vivarium at the opposite end of the heat lamp and I have recently put 5 sheets of carpet underlay under the vivarium and this is helping to keep the temparature more stable especially at night when the outside temparature can drop considerably. I have a reptiglo 8.0 flourescant globe which has a high uv rating and lights the cage during the day. The vivarium is in my bedroom however and i think that having my bedroom light on at night could be detrimental. is this true? I should also mention that the vivarium is approximately 1.2 metres long 42 centimeters deep and 60 centimeters high. I was told that it would be suitable for a fully grown adult.
My first concern is that my Coasty spends all of the daylight hours inside his hiding hole. i have the hole positioed dead centre in the vivarium. Is this normal behaviour and does it matter where the hiding hole is place? Even during the nighttime hours the snake is rarely sitting anywhere where it is easily visible and will often find a place to hide if it's disturbed or if i walk past the vivarium etc. When i handle the Python it is very placid and has only struck at me once very soon after i got it. It didn't actually bite me I think it realised as it was striking that i was not food. Should i be concerned about the amount of time it spends hiding?
My second concern is that although i always provide fresh water I never see my Python drinking or soaking. The bowl is also located roughly in the centre of the vivarium. Likewise should i be concerned and does it matter where i place the water bowl?
I'm also looking to get the Python sexed really soon because i've read that it's dangerous to have it done after their about 12 months old. is this true? and does anyone know of anyone in the Adelaide/Adelaide Hills area that could do this for me?
If anyone has any suggestions or comments i would really appreciate it.
Again i'm sorry that this post is so long but as i mentioned before i've been desperate for some good advice for a long time.
Thanks.

[NSavage]

Sorry i should have added this in the first post. It seems to be a while since my Python shed and the area between it's scales is white. Is this normal? The Python appears to be extremely healthy...

[junglemad]

white in between the scales? could be a burn? do you have guards around that emitter? could it be mites? do you use wood chips in the cage on the floor? some sort of infection? rubbing on something?
if you want the humidity to be higher place the water under the heat source
Pythons love to hide and then come out at night. some pythons don't mind being on display while some are secretive

welcome to the site.

[NSavage]

Doesn't appear to be burns. I do have guard around the emitter and it rarely goes there it does like to sit on top of the guard around the uv lamp though. I have checked for mites (around the eyes and under the jaw right?) and there doesn't seem to be any. I'm using sand in the cage at the moment but i'm getting rid of the sand tomorrow...
Thanks

[Kersten]

Another way to test for mites would be to put it in a waterbowl for a minute or so (dunking it's head isn't necessary), after you take it out have a look and see if there's any little black specks floating in the water. They're tiny little sods, so it's not always easy to see them if you're looking on the animal itself.

I wouldn't be concerned at all about your snake hiding, as Junglemad said, some just love to hide. And what hapens at night while you're sleeping is a whole different kettle of fish....I'm sure he's out and about then :wink:

The bedroom light being on can be detrimental if it's on all night and/or all the time as pythons are nocturnal and they aren't quite so fond of being out and about in the light. That being said, if it's just on for a few hours while you read or watch TV or something then I don't think it's doing any lasting damage.

Just as you don't see your python out and about during the day, you also may not see him drinking, it's probably another thing he does at night while you're not about.

Oh and welcome to the site

(you have a PM)

[Mangles]

I have two yeraling carpets, and you would be lucky to see either of them during the day, but they will often come out late at night when all the lights are out. The only time I have seen them drink is after they have eaten, and will never sit in the water bowl, but saying this every snake will behave differently.

One of my carpets sheds much more frequently than the other although they are the same age, size and get fed the same amounts at the same time. Both have not shed for quite some time, but I know one is definately going through the shed cycle at present as its eyes went very cloudy a few days ago. Probably the drop in humidity in Brisbane has had an effect on their shedding, so I have put in another bowl of water towards the hotter end of the tank just until they have shed.

[Reptilegirl]

g'day and welcome to the site..

My first concern is that my Coasty spends all of the daylight hours inside his hiding hole. i have the hole positioed dead centre in the vivarium. Is this normal behaviour and does it matter where the hiding hole is place?

i recon a couple of more hides would be good.. one at the warm end and one at the cool end aswell as the one in the mid.. that gives it a choice of where it can sleep/hide/relax..
most carpet pythons are nocturnal (diamonds come out during the day sometimes) so it is quite normal for your coastal to be in hiding all day long.. just as long as it eats its meals and doesnt show signs of being unhealthy the amount of time it spends hiding shouldnt matter...

My second concern is that although i always provide fresh water I never see my Python drinking or soaking. The bowl is also located roughly in the centre of the vivarium. Likewise should i be concerned and does it matter where i place the water bowl?

for the first couple of months when i got my bredli i never saw it in the water... but i couldnt watch every minute so i'm sure he was in there swimming around with out me knowing.. i have now wittnessed my snake drinking and soaking often... i'm sure its the same with your snake.. you'll catch it doing it one day...
as to where to put the water bowl.. if it seems your snake is having trouble shedding move the water bowl up to the warm end... this will create more humidity and will help out the snakey... but the water bowl shouldnt always be placed at the hot end as this could cause respritory problems... i usually keep my water bowl at the cool end..

I'm using sand in the cage at the moment but i'm getting rid of the sand tomorrow...

good idea!! it can get stuck inbetween the scales and cause major irritation to the snake..

once again welcome to the site

Megz

[NinaPeas]

Where abouts in the Hills do you live? I used to live in Stirling, and also owned a carpet python. He would spend much of his day and night either in his hidey-hole or wedged between some sticks hehe. He only really became active around feeding time and on really hot days. Having your bedroom light on at night wont really affect it, unless it's on all night! If it's only on for a hour or so, it should be fine.

I very rarely saw in drinking in the whole time I had it, but it probably comes out at night when you are alseep and everything in nice and quiet.

And I don't think sand is too much of an issue (flame suit on!). For many snakes sand is their natural substrate, and I'm guessing wild coastal carpet pythons see a bit of it I think the only issue with sand is that you have to chuck it all out and replace it every few months, otherwise it gets smelly.

As for vets in the area, there aren't a great deal that know much about reptiles, they will treat small things like cuts or burns, but I doubt they would know how to properly sex one. One guy that does come VERY highly recommended is Ian Huff (he is down at mitcham I think). A bit of a hike, but worth it if you want someone who actually knows what they are doing. He is a really great guy and very friendly and helpful, his number is 8277 7788.

Hope some of that helps!! And welcome to the site

[Kersten]

Sand is going to be an issue if your snake eats on the ground. If it's like mine (who likes to basically have a dead rat handed to her while she's on a branch) then it wont be an issue. The problems with sand comes when you place the food on the sand (or they drop it onto the sand) and the particles stick to the food and are ingested by the snake. It may feed for years on sand with no problem, but then perhaps it might. Womas, BHP's and Bredli are from sandy areas....perhaps someone woh breeds them or is more knowledgable than I can tell us if there is something in their makeup which prevents problems with eating on sand? (it's a leap I know) Coastals "naturally" live in the bush, rainforests etc and they're arboreal so they don't usually encounter sand quite so much. I know that butchers paper or newspaper can look boring but it's hassle free, and easier to clean, plus (if you're a big newspaper reader) you wont be paying anyting on top of what you pay to read the paper normally!

[TrueBlue]

pythons are nocturnal so are mainly active at night.
water is best kept at the cold end.
hide boxes should be placed in warm and cold areas.
snakes can be sexed after 12 months no problem, who ever told you that, or wrote it, is talking rubbish.

[rodentrancher]

For sexing, give Tim Mensforth at Ultimate Reptiles, Mile End, a ring. They do this service, but don't know what they charge. Cheers Cheryl, Renmark. SA

[NSavage]

[quote="NinaPeas"]Where abouts in the Hills do you live? I used to live in Stirling, and also owned a carpet python.

As for vets in the area, there aren't a great deal that know much about reptiles, they will treat small things like cuts or burns, but I doubt they would know how to properly sex one. One guy that does come VERY highly recommended is Ian Huff (he is down at mitcham I think). A bit of a hike, but worth it if you want someone who actually knows what they are doing. He is a really great guy and very friendly and helpful, his number is 8277 7788.

quote]

I'm in Hahndorf so not far from Stirling at all. Thanks heaps

[NSavage]

Yeah i'm going to get rid of the sand and i'm about to try crushed walnut shells but i'm a bit unsure of them. I'll let everyone know what they're like...
Would it be bad to have 2 bowls of water? One under the heat lamp and one at the cold end?

[NinaPeas]

I have used crushed walnut before with no worries, but everyone tells me thats not good to use either!!!

[Moreliaman]

i agree.....crushed nuts are not good !! :wink: