Albino Darwin Carpet Python Set Up

[Jamie Danielle]

Hey guys! I am a complete newbie to the snake world, so very grateful to have found this forum! Ive spent hours reading and jotting notes over the last few days about setting up and caring for an Albino Darwin Carpet Python ?

The most vital needs are those I want to be sure on, but different sources can be conflicting, so I would love some judgement free advice & recommendations from you guys please. I am located on the Sunshine Coast, QLD, if that helps ?

She is currently 4 months old and still with the breeder, who uses a rack system. She's in a 7L Sistema Container, nearing a 14L. I would prefer to have her set up in a tank for enjoyment, but her care & comfort is ofcourse my priority ?

The tank I am looking at is 12" x 12" x 12". May look at some only slightly taller as I have read they are semi-arboreal? The breeder said this is a suitable starting point, but I was told to be cautious of using glass & ventilated tops, as in the cooler months, they won't hold heat as well. Besides a tub, what are my alternatives? ?

My other focus is ofcourse the electrics. Breeder has said there is no need for any special uv/lighting? In regard to heating, will a Heat Mat be sufficient for a 4 month old, or should I have a heat lamp too? As per breeder recommendations i will definitely be purchasing a Heat Gun (which I have chosen) and a Thermostat, however there seem to be many of them to chose from.. Can I go for 30 bucks at bunnings, or should it be a more reptile focused $130 sort of one? ?

In terms of the actual temperature, I'm aware of cool and warm ends, but would love some confirmation on degrees for piece of mind.. & if a day-night variant is required at this age! ⏲

The rest I think I have sorted, listing.. Substrate, Hygrometer & Spray Bottle, Snake Hook, Feeding Tweezers, Water Bowl, Hiding Caves, Branches, Plants & ofcourse feed as recommended by breeder. ?

If you have made it this far, thank you, thank you, thank you. I know it's a long read and I may seem clueless but am truly doing my best to prepare! Any comments are highly appreciated, either on these these topics or others you feel needed ❤

 

[Sdaji]

What they need, and what you'll find they'll do best with, is a very basic tub like what the breeder has them in. Breeders use very basic tubs for several reasons, but one of the main ones is that it works best for making them feel secure and comfortable. The more elaborate you make your enclosure, the more potential for problems you introduce.

My suggestion is to start out with a very basic tub, it will be very cheap and easy to make. Get started by learning how to keep a snake in that, and once you have a feel for it, you can create your pretty enclosure to keep your snake in as an adult. Being pretty is just for your own enjoyment, and that's fine as long as you know what is needed and what could be a problem. No amount of reading or advice is a substitute for first hand experience, and you can get that using a tub as basic, cheap and easy as what the breeder uses.

You don't need heat lamps, you don't need UV. I'm sure the breeder is only using floor heat for hatchlings, and that's going to be easiest and safest for you too. Keeping it simple means it's easy to get right and unlikely to have dangerous complications.

Conflicting information about temperatures shouldn't be too critical. If one source says warm end 33 and another says 32 and another says 35, hey, it just means anything in that general area is fine. Don't panic about exact details if you're getting conflicting information of that sort. For youngsters, don't give fluctuating temperatures (you can, but as a beginner, it's safest and easiest not to - I've been doing it for decades and generally don't deliberately fluctuate temperatures on snakes under a year old, although the cool end will get cooler in winter because the room is cooler, and you'll have this happen whether you like it or not unless you go to great lengths to avoid it, which you won't).

If there's conflicting information about whether or not something is necessary (eg UV), it's almost always not necessary and some virtue-signalling idiot is trying to look like they care about their animals more than other people by saying they think something unnecessary is necessary. Most of the time people write care sheets which go far beyond what they themselves do for their animals. Look at what your breeder is actually doing (a 7 litre Sistema tub, right? Easy, cheap, effective).

I don't use spray bottles. I used to use them, but one day I was spraying some young Chondros and wondered about the quality of the water coming out of the bottle. I tasted it and it was like a plastic milkshake, I had to rinse my mouth out with fresh water, it was terrible. I tried as many brands of spray bottles as I could find and all were terrible, so I figured I didn't want the snakes to have to drink that. If I really want to spray them with water, which is extremely rare anyway, I make myself a spray bottle out of a water bottle (that you buy from the supermarket full of drinking water). Just poke some holes in the lid, point and squeeze. But, I literally never use any form of spray bottle for things like Carpets.

Yes, top opening enclosures tend to end up dry which can lead to sloughing problems.

If in doubt, doing what your breeder is doing is probably a good option. Don't bamboozle yourself with too many different opinions and if someone is trying to sell you something, be sceptical about whether or not it's needed (I'm not going to make any money from you, so you can trust me when I say you don't need all the fancy stuff).

 

[Jamie Danielle]

What they need, and what you'll find they'll do best with, is a very basic tub like what the breeder has them in. Breeders use very basic tubs for several reasons, but one of the main ones is that it works best for making them feel secure and comfortable. The more elaborate you make your enclosure, the more potential for problems you introduce.

My suggestion is to start out with a very basic tub, it will be very cheap and easy to make. Get started by learning how to keep a snake in that, and once you have a feel for it, you can create your pretty enclosure to keep your snake in as an adult. Being pretty is just for your own enjoyment, and that's fine as long as you know what is needed and what could be a problem. No amount of reading or advice is a substitute for first hand experience, and you can get that using a tub as basic, cheap and easy as what the breeder uses.

You don't need heat lamps, you don't need UV. I'm sure the breeder is only using floor heat for hatchlings, and that's going to be easiest and safest for you too. Keeping it simple means it's easy to get right and unlikely to have dangerous complications.

Conflicting information about temperatures shouldn't be too critical. If one source says warm end 33 and another says 32 and another says 35, hey, it just means anything in that general area is fine. Don't panic about exact details if you're getting conflicting information of that sort. For youngsters, don't give fluctuating temperatures (you can, but as a beginner, it's safest and easiest not to - I've been doing it for decades and generally don't deliberately fluctuate temperatures on snakes under a year old, although the cool end will get cooler in winter because the room is cooler, and you'll have this happen whether you like it or not unless you go to great lengths to avoid it, which you won't).

If there's conflicting information about whether or not something is necessary (eg UV), it's almost always not necessary and some virtue-signalling idiot is trying to look like they care about their animals more than other people by saying they think something unnecessary is necessary. Most of the time people write care sheets which go far beyond what they themselves do for their animals. Look at what your breeder is actually doing (a 7 litre Sistema tub, right? Easy, cheap, effective).

I don't use spray bottles. I used to use them, but one day I was spraying some young Chondros and wondered about the quality of the water coming out of the bottle. I tasted it and it was like a plastic milkshake, I had to rinse my mouth out with fresh water, it was terrible. I tried as many brands of spray bottles as I could find and all were terrible, so I figured I didn't want the snakes to have to drink that. If I really want to spray them with water, which is extremely rare anyway, I make myself a spray bottle out of a water bottle (that you buy from the supermarket full of drinking water). Just poke some holes in the lid, point and squeeze. But, I literally never use any form of spray bottle for things like Carpets.

Yes, top opening enclosures tend to end up dry which can lead to sloughing problems.

If in doubt, doing what your breeder is doing is probably a good option. Don't bamboozle yourself with too many different opinions and if someone is trying to sell you something, be sceptical about whether or not it's needed (I'm not going to make any money from you, so you can trust me when I say you don't need all the fancy stuff).

Thank you so much for taking the time to read & reply with your knowledge and experience! Highly noted. I posted on a few other forums and received some good replies there too, so at this stage I'm just looking for a good thermostat in stock near me.

 

[Sdaji]

Any dimming or pulse proportional thermostat should be good. Surprisingly, the best ones I can find are reptile branded units. I'd have thought in this big, crazy world there would be some other application for a usable unit, and if there was it should only cost around $20 (mass produced they'd be very cheap, but designed and branded as boutique products, they're quite expensive for a simple electronic widget).