Carpet and Diamond Pythons Guide

Carpet and Diamond pythons are great snakes for the intermediate keeper that has already successfully kept smaller pythons like Stimson's and Children's pythons, and are looking for more of a challenge! Carpet and Diamond pythons are the same species, with Diamond pythons being a subspecies - Morelia spilota spilota. There are several other subspecies of carpet python:

• Jungle carpet python - Morelia spilota cheynei
• Coastal carpet python - Morelia spilota mcdowelli
• Inland carpet python - Morelia spilota metcalfei
• Darwin carpet python - Morelia spilota variegata

Many pet carpet pythons may be hybrids of two or more different subspecies, which is not a problem for pet snakes. However, breeding animals should have more controlled lineages, and the parentage of any breeding animals should be known.

Carpet pythons can grow up to 4 metres long and weigh 15 kg! The average adult length is about 2 metres, and females tend to get larger than males. Genetics also plays a part in the adult size of carpet pythons, with the Coastal subspecies being the largest, and the Darwin subspecies the smallest.

While carpet pythons are commonly kept as pets, they require some experience due to their size, strength, and temperament. Many carpet pythons are docile and easy to handle, but they can also be aggressive and difficult to handle depending on the individual. Females are more likely to be difficult to handle, and they also grow larger than males. These snakes can be very strong when fully grown, and although they are not venomous, their razor-sharp teeth can cause serious injury, so ensure that you are ready for a carpet python before committing to one.

Their size also means that an appropriate enclosure for an adult needs to be at least 150 cm long, 60 cm tall, and 100 cm wide. While juvenile snakes certainly can be kept in a smaller enclosure, always factor their adult size into account when planning, and smaller snakes can be kept in larger enclosures as long as there is no risk of escape. Hatchlings can be kept in plastic containers inside large enclosures.