75% Diamond, 25% Jungle Carpet Care Suggestions...

[jasonicBlast]

Hey Gang

I've recently purchased a male 75% diamond 25% jungle carpet juvenile. He's got a gorgeous pattern very reminiscent of a high yellow diamond. I realize a Mut is a Mut, but he's shaping up to be a real tri-color stunner, and I am looking forward to growing him up to see how he turns out.


lf u have a sec, I have a few questions concerning appropriate care for him.

Being a long time keeper of many reptile species, I'm aware that the care of each of these species is very different.

And your opinion, should I be adhering to the very necessary hibernation schedule that a diamond python requires? Or by adding 25% Jungle carpet, should I be keeping him more like we keep the vast majority of of pythons in captivity.

2ndly, can I expect his colorization to hold once he's mature, or will his colors and contrast likely fade like the majority of Jungle Carpets.

Any and all experiences and opinions welcome.

Many thanks,

J

 

[Sdaji]

You have a hybrid. How it turns out is a roll of the dice. It's like if a tall person and a short person have a baby. Will it be tall? Short? Somewhere in between? We won't know until the kid grows into an adult.

Your snake may fade, it may hold, we don't know, it's a hybrid, the genetics are a lucky dip between the parental genetics.

Its physiology is also a lucky dip. It may have a tropical physiology, it may have a temperate physiology, it will probably be somewhere in between, it may have weird quirks such as a requirement for a cold winter but also susceptibility to cold temperatures (a bad combination). More likely it will be resilient to cold and also happy without it, but hybrids are unpredictable, particularly after the F1 generation which yours is. It's a hybrid, you don't know for sure.

You describe yourself as a long term keeper of many species. A veteran keeper like yourself should have no trouble with a mixed blood Carpet. A novice may not be able to recognise the behavioural cues, but someone well familiar with reptiles won't have any trouble watching what it does and providing the corresponding conditions. If it's behaving like a Jungle or Diamond, particularly in respect to temperature preference and the way it seeks the temperatures it does (does it bask in winter like Diamonds, Murray Darlings, Bredli etc?) treat accordingly, etc etc.

 

[jasonicBlast]

You have a hybrid. How it turns out is a roll of the dice. It's like if a tall person and a short person have a baby. Will it be tall? Short? Somewhere in between? We won't know until the kid grows into an adult.

Your snake may fade, it may hold, we don't know, it's a hybrid, the genetics are a lucky dip between the parental genetics.

Its physiology is also a lucky dip. It may have a tropical physiology, it may have a temperate physiology, it will probably be somewhere in between, it may have weird quirks such as a requirement for a cold winter but also susceptibility to cold temperatures (a bad combination). More likely it will be resilient to cold and also happy without it, but hybrids are unpredictable, particularly after the F1 generation which yours is. It's a hybrid, you don't know for sure.

You describe yourself as a long term keeper of many species. A veteran keeper like yourself should have no trouble with a mixed blood Carpet. A novice may not be able to recognise the behavioural cues, but someone well familiar with reptiles won't have any trouble watching what it does and providing the corresponding conditions. If it's behaving like a Jungle or Diamond, particularly in respect to temperature preference and the way it seeks the temperatures it does (does it bask in winter like Diamonds, Murray Darlings, Bredli etc?) treat accordingly, etc etc.

Excellent response, this makes sense. Many Thanks Sdaji

Quick Update..

I've been monitoring things closely to ensure I'm keeping him properly. By my research he's acting diamond-ish, so I've completely changed his enclosure. Anyone whose interested can find the details below.

Observations, previous setup..

In his previous setup (taller, 34 qt plastic bin) he really seemed to like it cold. Body temps were regularly just as the ambient (75f) and he was staying away from the hide with belly heat, even after eating. Many times I'd find him either perched or floating in the water bowl, almost like he was trying to get as cold as he could. As a test, I put his enclosure next to a window one day for an hour, to get a sliver of sunlight in there, and he perched up in the warmth and stayed. Ah ha! This was all the Intel I needed. It was time for a new setup.

New Setup...

I moved him up to a 3'x3'x18" front opening enclosure with a natural substrate, and many more branches and basking/uv lights on a timer. This is more than double the size of his previous belly heat oriented setup. In this new setup with multiple perches at different heights, he moved directly under the lamp and seems to be regulating his body temps at 84 to 88f during the day. Night time, everything goes back to mid/low 70s.

I kept an eye on him the first few days / nights to ensure he was comfortable. I found he was typically out cruising around using all the space in the viv at night. Extra space seems to be appreciated. Days he's under, or just next to the basking spot.

So far so good. I'll report back once he's eaten.

J