Ballarat/Melbourne folks from colder climates - please help (carpet pythons)

[Snorl3y]

Hi guys,

I'm waiting for my license to be approved and I'm so excited to get my first python, which I've decided will be a Murray Darling.

I read 'Guide to Australian pythons in captivity' and watched tonnes of videos for months before deciding on getting the MD. I've been lucky enough to hold a couple of juveniles and adults too at some places around Melbourne. I'm now working on getting an enclosure set up, which is where I have some questions.

For those in the Ballarat or central Victoria area with carpet pythons, how did you have your heating set up during the early months of your snakes life, and also adulthood? It gets below 0 at night in winter and into the 30's-40's during summer. I have bought a 'ReptileOne' hatchling/juvenile enclosure which is 22L (glass) and a 5W heat mat. For hatchies, is the expectation that you just leave the heat mat on 24/7 with the thermostat set at around 31 degrees? Also, are there any basic thermostat recommendations for small hatchie enclosures?

I'm really paranoid that in the colder months the heat mat won't be enough and my noodle will freeze to death, and if I get a higher Watt one I'll just cook it!

Appreciate advice anyone has, as it's proving quite difficult to get answers on this!

Cheers, Sam

 

[Sdaji]

It's pretty easy to get the temperature right. Don't go for one of the expensive, difficult options, just get a plastic tub of appropriate size, use a heat source which provides floor heat (I like heat cords, heat mats are the other option), put the heat source under only 1/4 to 1/3 of the tub, and you'll have a hot end and a cold end. In winter if necessary you can rearrange the heat cord to be more tightly coiled and thus provide more heat, and if your thermostat fails in summer you'll only be heating one end of the tub so the snake can sit at the cool end and be safe. The tub should only cost a few dollars, the heat cord maybe $20-30, and the thermostat will be the only expensive thing (you'll need one whatever type of enclosure you go for).

 

[Snorl3y]

It's pretty easy to get the temperature right. Don't go for one of the expensive, difficult options, just get a plastic tub of appropriate size, use a heat source which provides floor heat (I like heat cords, heat mats are the other option), put the heat source under only 1/4 to 1/3 of the tub, and you'll have a hot end and a cold end. In winter if necessary you can rearrange the heat cord to be more tightly coiled and thus provide more heat, and if your thermostat fails in summer you'll only be heating one end of the tub so the snake can sit at the cool end and be safe. The tub should only cost a few dollars, the heat cord maybe $20-30, and the thermostat will be the only expensive thing (you'll need one whatever type of enclosure you go for).

Thanks mate - appreciate the response. I'm going to try the heat mat at first, and if it's not sufficient in winter I'll try heat cords instead.

I got a little glass enclosure purely for aesthetic reasons, haha. Although it's much cheaper and easier to go with the plastic containers, I wanted to start him off in something that's a bit nicer for us to look at

 

[Sdaji]

Thanks mate - appreciate the response. I'm going to try the heat mat at first, and if it's not sufficient in winter I'll try heat cords instead.

I got a little glass enclosure purely for aesthetic reasons, haha. Although it's much cheaper and easier to go with the plastic containers, I wanted to start him off in something that's a bit nicer for us to look at

Your snake your choice, but if you're worried about temperatures, glass isn't a great option. Other than aesthetics glass has nothing going for it and a lot going against it. That said, Murray Darlings are pretty hardy and you should be okay. Good luck

 

[CF Constrictor]

A well insulated enclosure will help too

 

[alichamp]

Where are you keeping the enclosure? It drops below 0 for winter nights here too but I keep my reptiles in enclosures in my house and have heating on (to keep me warm!) so it wouldn't drop below 12-15 degrees inside. I mean - still cold requiring night time heat (and risk of cold spots or draughts) but at least it's not as bad as outside.

 

[Snorl3y]

Where are you keeping the enclosure? It drops below 0 for winter nights here too but I keep my reptiles in enclosures in my house and have heating on (to keep me warm!) so it wouldn't drop below 12-15 degrees inside. I mean - still cold requiring night time heat (and risk of cold spots or draughts) but at least it's not as bad as outside.

Hey mate, sorry for some reason I didn't see a notification for your post. He'll be in my computer room, which I'm in everyday with a heater during winter. I think if it's getting freezing in the room at night, I'll leave a heater on low in the room to help with ambient temps