Personality change

Aussie Pythons & Snakes Forum

Help Support Aussie Pythons & Snakes Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.

PetaGunn

New Member
Joined
May 8, 2012
Messages
6
Reaction score
3
Hey, I need some help...

Ive had my Coastal Carpet for almost 5 years now and he's almost 6.
He's been lovely, cool tempered and placid until about a month ago...

I move around his cage a bit and cleaned up, put new plastic plants in and one new hide...
He's bitten me twice in a fortnight which is the first time he's ever shown aggression and doesn't come out from one of his hides except for when he runs around at night. It looks like he is constantly on the hunt for food.

I feed him 2 hoppers fortnightly at the moment.

I should know this but is it mating time for him at the moment? What else can I do?

Please help, I want my Cepheid back :(

I can include photos if people need.

A stressed Gunn.
 
Has he ever been like this at the same time of year? Some snakes will want to bulk up for breeding and may mistake your arm for food during this time of year. Is he like this outside the enclosure?
 
If the snake is 5 years old going on 6 and you're only feeding it 2 hoppers (I presume you mean rats) then it's biting you because it's hungry. A 5 year old carpet should have been getting fed at least one adult rat per fortnight from about 18 months of age.

Up the size of the food to an adult rat and give it as many as it will take in the one feed and see how things go.
 
UP THE FOOD INTAKE, I have feed adult children pythons full grown guinea pigs before , when you feed the carpet can you see a " lump in the stomach" IMO i believe the size of the feeds are not big enough, how big is the carpet? pics would help also :)
 
Oh yeah I missed that bit... its the food then :)
 
Edit: I'm home now and have realised im feeding him 2 adult mice a fortnight. He's a smol lad and there are bulges in his belly after feeding.
He's never acted like this before, that why I thought he may have come into maturity. I also cant take him out because of the biting :(

20180125_202147.jpg
 
You are insanely underfeeding a snake that size.... give it an adult rat a fortnight

No wonder it’s biting

With the increase of heat at the moment his digestion will be very quick hence why he’s hungrier and biting


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro



I'd misremembered what I was feeding him and corrected myself above : two adult mice a fortnight
 
And don't worry about whether you think the food item is too large - the snake will judge that. If you have been feeding him adult mice for a long time, he will definitely be on the small size.
 
Yeah that's just way too small a food item(s) for a Python that age. I usually give my biggest Murray Darling - that is around the same age as your Coastal - A 500 gram-ish Rat once a month.
 
I feel like a super bad mother now :'( But i'll definitely upgrade his food! I fed him his 2 adult mice an hour ago, so I'll buy him a tasty treat tomorrow :)

Thank you all for the help!
 
Stop with the mice and throw the rest in the bin. First thing tomorrow, head out and pick up some adult rats and start feeding them instead as the others said.
 
Yeah that's just way too small a food item(s) for a Python that age. I usually give my biggest Murray Darling - that is around the same age as your Coastal - A 500 gram-ish Rat once a month.

Hang on a minute you guys. Age is no predictor of size in captive pythons. Size is always an artefact of how much they are fed. If the snake has only been fed 2 adult mice every fortnight, it may be quite small for its age, a 500 gram rat is probably way too big for it to comfortably manage, and may cause serious regurgitation if that's the case. A small -medium rat of around 150-200 grams is the max I would offer, and would be quite sufficient for 2-3 weeks, and if that is taken with ease, then increase it a bit more. I would feed only my largest Carpets (2m+) a 500 gram rat, and then only occasionally. You should not feed huge meals "just because you can." Moderate, appropriately sized food animals are always recommended, especially at the height of summer, when a huge meal during a heatwave can kill a snake.

Jamie
 
Hang on a minute you guys. Age is no predictor of size in captive pythons. Size is always an artefact of how much they are fed. If the snake has only been fed 2 adult mice every fortnight, it may be quite small for its age, a 500 gram rat is probably way too big for it to comfortably manage, and may cause serious regurgitation if that's the case. A small -medium rat of around 150-200 grams is the max I would offer, and would be quite sufficient for 2-3 weeks, and if that is taken with ease, then increase it a bit more. I would feed only my largest Carpets (2m+) a 500 gram rat, and then only occasionally. You should not feed huge meals "just because you can." Moderate, appropriately sized food animals are always recommended, especially at the height of summer, when a huge meal during a heatwave can kill a snake.

Jamie

While you have some valid points. I wasn't suggesting that PetaGunn try and feed their Python on the size Rats I give mine.

The smaller of my Murray Darlings (smaller as he's always been a fussy eater) only gets a Small Adult Rat or Multiple 5 day old Chicks for now.

I've had no issues giving the bigger Murray Darling Extra Large Rats for years now.

The Mother of my two Murray Darlings got a full grown Rabbit every two weeks and was around 10kg and about 13 years old if I remember correctly.
 
Very true, Jamie. If people looked at our pythons, they would say they are undersized for their age. They are however in very healthy condition, and fed semi-regularly, the frequency dependent on the season.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Back
Top