New to snakes and I have a cranky Jungle 6 month old

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Dan&Seth

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Hi just getting back into reptile keeping and I thought I get a couple of snakes as I haven’t had them before. My Children’s python hatchling has been very good with feeding and handling, a little shy but no striking.
My Jungle python I got a few days ago is completely opposite. I know it’s early days since change of habitat from tub racking to terrarium but just after some confirmation on behaviour improvements over time. She has taken a pinky rat on Friday night but was argumentative going back to enclosure and since then she has been striking at me when I am close by the enclosure (tonight). I only plan on changing water and possibly a feed next Sunday giving her some space with hopes the striking will settle over the coming weeks
Any advice will be helpful.
Cheers
Dan
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I noticed my blackheaded was a bit like that for a couple of days and then i realised she was a couple of days into her shed cycle and had cloudy blue eyes. Thats why she was being defensive. Also i have heard that jungles (especially hatchlings) can be very snappy. Im not an expert though so i hope an actual expert can help you out soon!
 
She has taken a pinky rat on Friday night but was argumentative going back to enclosure
There's no need to take her out of her enclosure for feeding. She may cranky from being handled after eating. Let her settle quietly & next time feed her in her enclosure where she doesn't need to be handled just after eating. :)
 
You'll probably find that it's scared after going from a tub to an enclosure and acting defensively so as suggested just let it be for a while. On another note there's a good chance that it's still hungry. I wouldn't waist my time or money feeding it pinky rats, there's no nutritional value in them and I'd move it on to fuzzy, or better yet, hopper mice and also as suggested feed it in its enclosure.
 
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You'll probably find that it's scared after going from a tub to an enclosure and acting defensively so as suggested just let it be for a while. On another note there's a good chance that it's still hungry. I wouldn't waist my time or money feeding it pinky rats, there's no nutritional value in them and I'd move it on to a fuzzy, or better yet, hopper mice and also as suggested feed it in its enclosure.
100% agree GB and it puzzles me why anyone would feed small snakes pinky rats when fuzzy or hopper mice have more nutrition and substance. Since I started selling frozen rodents I am amazed at the number of people who want to feed pinky rats to quite large snakes, I refuse to supply pinky rats.
 
Thanks everybody for the feed back, I will pick up some fuzzies or hoppers on Thursday and try a cage feed on Sunday or Monday night. Hopefully she settles in the future as she is a nice looking Jungle, I will update on her progress over the next month or so.
 
100% agree GB and it puzzles me why anyone would feed small snakes pinky rats when fuzzy or hopper mice have more nutrition and substance. Since I started selling frozen rodents I am amazed at the number of people who want to feed pinky rats to quite large snakes, I refuse to supply pinky rats.

Couldn’t agree more although some lines of jungles in particular are notorious for being horribly opposed to rats after feeding on mice’s. Switching isn’t always a problem but the Cowley / Kraus jungle I had wouldn’t budge ever. Probably more important for growing out young breeders though so no biggie.
 
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I feed my yearling - 2yr old Julatten jungles and all my younger snakes mice and rats depending on what I am gassing or thawing at the time and they never hesitate to grab them whatever they are. My hatchlings are all fed mice up to 30-40gm adult mouse size then I introduce some hopper rats thawed with the mice and after that they will eat either/or.
 
I usually start my carpets on pinky rats and move to velvets as quick as I can. I can't stand the smell of mice only breed rats and feed rats. I have heard the no nutrition in pinky thing a lot and it does make sense. But has anyone done any experiments to test growth rates as an indictator of health. I find mine grow well on pinkys
 
I went from 6 feeds of fuzzy mice straight to fuzzy rats this year with my jungle hatchies . Had major trouble in the past switching from mice to rats . Best to do it asap imo !
 
I usually start my carpets on pinky rats and move to velvets as quick as I can. I can't stand the smell of mice only breed rats and feed rats. I have heard the no nutrition in pinky thing a lot and it does make sense. But has anyone done any experiments to test growth rates as an indictator of health. I find mine grow well on pinkys
A lot of people seem to have this attitude about the smell of mice, I have hundreds of both and can't tell the difference but they are in rooms with air con and exhaust fans and I change the wood shavings regularly. I do notice that snake poo when feeding on pinkies is yuk, their digestive system has evolved for more substantial prey with skin and bone.
 
Yeah I get that a pinky is less developed and may not have as much for a lack of a better term ruffage on them. As far as the smell goes its a preference not an attitude. I have bred them side by side to my rats and actually hate the smell of them so don't breed them anymore. but the rats I surprisingly don't mind the smell
 
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Just an update, she has sort of settled until I changed her water tonight. No striking but she went into a hypo flight mode?? I have been leaving her be just with some time where she sees me but from a slight distance. She took a large fuzzy mouse on Sunday with no issue. She was pretty calm at the start of the water changing, she was coming towards me slowly I think checking to see if I had food? I finished adding fresh water and she was a little to far out of her terrarium so I blocked gently with a snake hook then she exploded with flight mode trying to find a way out while closing her lid. She hasn’t been using her hide to much just sitting on top of it which I think is ok? Under hide temps have been at 32 and Terrarium temps around 25 to 28, if this is wrong let know and I will adjust.
 
If the temp under the hide is 32 then it's probably too hot for it and that's why it's sitting on top. Carpets like to bask under a heat source such as a globe to reach their preferred body temp then retreat to a cool secure location where they can curl up and maintain the heat until they need to bask again. They don't have to be kept hot all the time and need to a temperature gradient of between 35 at the basking spot to around 16-18 degrees at the cool end to thermoregulate.
 
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