Stimson's and Children's Pythons

A Complete Guide for Keeping Stimson's and Children's Pythons in Australia

This article is written by Pet Circle Veterinarian, Dr Nicole Wynne BSc BVMS MANZCVS (Unusual Pets).

While we can't keep common overseas pythons such as ball pythons in Australia, we have a wealth of native small python species that make excellent pets. These species include the Stimson's Python (Antaresia stimsoni) and Children's Python (Antaresia childreni). The Stimson's Python has recently been reclassified as a variant of the Children's python and are now regarded as the same species.

These small snakes are excellent choices for a first-time reptile keeper, and are of a manageable size, good temperament, and are forgiving in terms of enclosure and husbandry requirements.

Contents:
Reptile Licensing Requirements
Facts About Stimson's and Children's Pythons
Preparing for your Stimson's or Children's Python
Enclosures
Heating
Lighting
Furniture
Substrate
Diet
Hygiene
Diet
Caring for Your Stimson's or Children's Python
Handling
Natural Sunlight
Shedding
Further Reading

Reptile Licensing Requirements in Australia

All pet reptiles require a reptile keeping licence in Australia, and these differ from state to state, so ensure that you check your local requirements before getting any pet reptile. For Stimson’s and Children’s pythons, the licensing requirements are generally aimed towards beginner keepers. 

• NSW - Companion Animal Keeper’s Licence
• ACT - Nature Conservation Act Licence
• VIC - Wildlife Basic Licence
• WA - Fauna Pet Keepers Licence
• TAS - Illegal for private keepers in Tasmania
• QLD - Standard Recreational Wildlife Licence
• NT - No licence required for Stimson’s and Children’s pythons
• SA - No licence required for just one Stimson’s or Children’s python, Basic Licence otherwise.

Facts About Stimson’s and Children’s pythons

Size	Place of origin	Temperament
Small	Australia	Docile
Life expectancy	Length range	Weight range
15-25 years	75-85 cm	300-500 grams
Enclosure size	Activity level	Active period
Medium	Medium	Night

Are Stimson’s and Children’s pythons good pets?

These small pythons are well-known for their docility, and make excellent pets for both new and experienced reptile keepers. These neat little pythons have a wide range across the Australian mainland and prefer arid to dry environments. This huge range in the wild enables them to adapt to many different temperatures and environments, making them more flexible to keep in captivity. 

Their colour patterns can vary greatly in the wild, and there are several stunning captive-bred mutations that display different base colours and patterns.

Are Stimson’s and Children’s pythons nocturnal?

These snakes tend to be nocturnal in the wild, and choose to hide or bask during the daytime. 

What do Stimson’s and Children’s pythons eat?

In the wild, they eat small mammals or marsupials, frogs, birds, and lizards, using special sensory pits and their forked tongue to find prey by heat or smell. In captivity, they do well on appropriately sized frozen and thawed feeder mice, and are not usually picky eaters. 

How big do Stimson’s and Children’s pythons get?

They grow up to 85 cm in length as adults, and weigh about 300-500 grams. 

Females are usually larger than males, and may be more likely to be aggressive; however, this species is generally known for its good nature.

Like all snakes, Stimson’s and Children’s pythons shed their skin regularly as they grow, and adults will still shed 2-4 times a year. 

How long do Stimson’s and Children’s pythons live?

Like many reptiles, Stimson’s and Children’s pythons are long-lived, and can live from 15-25 years in captivity. They are generally hardy, but can be prone to respiratory illnesses and obesity. 

Are Stimson’s and Children’s pythons aggressive?

Although they are non-venomous, all snakes can still bite, and adults can cause bleeding wounds. Juvenile and hatchling snakes tend to be more snappy, but often grow out of it in time. Adult snakes do not commonly bite, but may do so if they are unused to handling or feel threatened. 

Preparing for your Stimson’s or Children’s python

After getting your licence, the next step is putting together an enclosure for your python. As a small python, your snake will need a minimum of a 60 cm long by 30 cm high enclosure. They tend to be terrestrial, and so don’t require a tall enclosure. Although you may be getting your snake as a juvenile, get an enclosure that suits an adult straight off, as it will save you from having to upgrade in the future. If your snake is still very small, you can house them in a plastic box within the main enclosure, which will allow you to keep the same heating and lighting system. 

Small Python Supplies Checklist

• Glass tank
• Plastic storage container with ventilation holes for transport
• Substrate
• Hides and other furniture
• Water dish
• Feeding tongs
• Appropriately sized feeder mice
• Enclosure cleaner
• Heat source
• UV light
• Thermostat
• An appointment at an exotics vet

Python Enclosures

Type of Enclosure

Glass enclosures are always better than plastic, especially since heat sources can melt plastic! Glass enclosures will also last, are scratch-resistant, and are much easier to clean. Enclosures should be easy to access for handling and cleaning, and avoid enclosures with small doors. Well-designed enclosures will have large front doors that often will open an entire side of the enclosure, along with top access. They normally will include mesh panels on top for ventilation and UV access, and have no potential escape routes. Doors should all be latchable, and some enclosures will have attachments for locks. Exo-Terra enclosures are high quality, and come in several different sizes and configurations to suit most species. 

Size and Location of Enclosure

Ensure that the enclosure you choose is large enough to accommodate your furniture, as well as allowing for enough space for your snake to stretch out and roam. This also involves planning where the enclosure will be located in your house, as you don’t want to get an enclosure that doesn’t fit in the location you’ve chosen. Your enclosure should be in a quiet room that isn’t a common area or thoroughfare. Remember that stress can cause injury or illness in reptiles, and signs of stress may not be as apparent as in mammals. 

Your enclosure should also be located in a room with as few temperature fluctuations as possible. For example, a room where the air conditioning is constantly being turned on or off is not ideal, or a room that gets strong sunlight for only a few hours each day. 

Finally, other pets in the household should not be able to access the enclosure, even if they can’t open it or get on top of it. Dogs and cats are predators of reptiles. 

Python Heating

A proper, well-maintained heating system is vital for keeping your python healthy and happy. Reptiles are ectothermic, which means that they need to rely on external sources of body heat. All body functions are heat-dependent, including heart rate, digestion, and respiration. Pythons that don’t get enough heat will suffer from suboptimal organ function and become unwell. 

Although setting up a thermostatically-controlled heating system can be more expensive and tricky in the short run, a proper system should only require basic maintenance in the long run, and will be invaluable for ensuring your snake stays healthy. 

Reptiles require a basking spot in the enclosure set to their preferred body temperature (PBT), which in our small pythons is 33-35 degrees Celsius. At the opposite end of the enclosure, they should have their “cool end,” which is an area that sits around 25-28 degrees Celsius. Reptiles are great at sensing environmental temperatures, and having a “hot end” and “cool end” will allow them to regulate their body temperature by moving between the hot and cool end as needed. The basking area can mimic a natural spot in the wild, and include flat, smooth rocks, or thick branches for your python to adjust their distance from the heat source. 

The great thing about a thermostat is that it will automatically monitor temperatures in the hot and cool end, and adjust the heating to account for that. This means that very little input is required to maintain an ideal temperature gradient for your python. 

Type of heat source

Heat lamps are much better than heat mats as they mimic heat from the sun, and often can be placed with less risk of thermal burns, but also more effective heating. Heat lamps can be augmented with heat mats in the basking area as long as the reptile cannot come into direct contact with the heat mat. 

It is best to get separate heat and UV lamps, as combined lamps often do not do either job optimally. However, as pythons tend to have lower UV requirements than lizards, a good quality combination lamp may be acceptable. All heat sources should be inaccessible to your pet, and heat globes should either be out of the enclosure, or contained within a mesh cover. Without this, there is a risk of your snake coiling around the heat source and suffering from thermal burns, which can be very tricky to treat. 

Python Lighting

The importance of UV lighting in Australian pythons can be a topic of debate, as some keepers feel it is less important due to some species’ nocturnal habits. However, there is no downside to providing UV light, and so we recommend ensuring that your python has a consistent source of UV as well as visible light. 

UV lighting

Choosing a good quality UV globe is important and will save you money in the long run, as they won’t have to be replaced as often and are less prone to failure. However, no matter how good your UV globe is, it cannot be filtered through glass or plastic, as this will filter a lot of the UV waves out. It is fine for it to go through mesh, but also be aware that UV light will decrease the further the animal is from the globe, and most globes require no more than a 30 cm distance between the globe and animal. The best globes in the world also won’t match up to natural Australian sun, and it is also recommended that your python receive at least an hour of natural sunlight a week. 

Regular lighting

Visible light should also be provided to ensure that your snake has a normal day-night cycle. An automatic timer can produce a day-night cycle of 14-16 hours of daylight, and 8-10 hours of darkness. If you want to have visibility in the enclosure during darkness, you can install a red light, which is visible to humans but not snakes. 

Python Furniture

Stimson’s and Children’s pythons generally love to hide, and it is also good for them to have a small climbing option as well. Pythons particularly love a hide that makes them feel safe by being small enough that their sides contact the walls of the hide when they’re coiled up inside, but do ensure that it is still large enough that they won’t get stuck. This may need monitoring as your python grows. 

All furniture should be non-abrasive and easy to clean or dispose of. For example, natural wood is a great option for reptile enclosures, but will need to be thrown out when overly soiled as it can be difficult to clean properly. Imitation wood or rock has been designed to be easier to clean, but still mimic natural surfaces and be enticing for your pet. 

Have a few spare pieces of furniture so that it is easy to swap out soiled items from the enclosure. 

Python Substrate

The substrate of your enclosure is the flooring or bedding material that you use. Substrate should never be used from the wild or from your garden, as this may harbour pathogens that can make your snake sick. Commercially produced substrates are a much safer option. Substrates should be absorbent but not damp, non-abrasive, and suit your reptile’s mode of transportation - this means that snakes generally prefer finer substrates, and lizards coarser substrates. They should also be easy to clean and throw out. 

Your enclosure should be spot-cleaned of any soiled or wet bits every day, and a full clean should be done at least once a month, or after each bowel movement. 

Shop All Reptile Substrates and Bedding Now

Stimson’s and Children’s Python Diet

All pythons are carnivorous, and eat only whole prey. It is important to note that live prey feeding is illegal in Australia under animal welfare grounds, and live prey can severely injure or even kill reptiles. Frozen mice and rats are available in several sizes, and these are a great option for feeding, as they are free from parasites or diseases. Never feed any wild-caught items to your reptile. Your feeder mouse or rat should be about the same width as your python’s head, and the size will gradually increase as your snake grows. Adult Stimson’s and Children’s pythons will take a small to medium adult mouse. 

Ensure that your feeder mice are always kept frozen, and only defrost one mouse at a time, right before you intend to feed your snake. Feeder mice should be defrosted to normal body temperature, about 35-40 degrees Celsius, and this can be achieved with a warm water bath. 

Feeding tongs should be used when feeding your snake to reduce your risk of injury. While your snake may not intend to strike you, a mis-timed strike may accidentally get a hand or finger. While pythons are not venomous, their teeth can still cause injury and infection. 

As pythons hunt by smell, ensure that your hands are washed prior to any interaction or feeding. If you smell of mouse, your python may mistake you for a prey item! If you smell of something else, it may put your python off feeding. 

Hatchling snakes can be fed weekly, and adults fortnightly to monthly. Your vet can help you condition score your snake and figure out the best feeding schedule. 

Your snake should have a shallow dish of water available at all times, and water should be changed out weekly at least. 

Python Hygiene

Have hand sanitizer close to your enclosure so that you can clean your hands before and after handling your snake. This is important to ensure that you and your reptile stay healthy. For enclosure cleaning, ensure that you use a reptile-safe disinfectant, and always wipe down after spraying and leaving the disinfectant for the recommended time. 

Proper hand washing should also be practiced, especially after a longer handling session, and before eating or drinking. 

Caring for Your Stimson’s or Children’s Python

Now that you’ve set up your enclosure, most of the hard work is done! The next thing to do is allow your snake to settle in and relax. In this time, make a booking with an exotics or reptile vet, as an initial checkup is important to ensure that everything is set up appropriately, and that your snake doesn’t have any issues to look out for. The veterinarian will perform a full physical examination of your snake, and if you don’t know the gender, they will be able to perform probe sexing to tell you if your snake is male or female. 

Preparing for your vet visit

There are a few other things to prepare apart from ensuring that you have a suitable transport enclosure or bag for your snake. Take a few good photos of your enclosure to show your vet, including brands and models of your equipment. Ensure that you bring any records including weight, feeding schedule, and temperature. While this may sound a bit gross, save your snake’s most recent stool to bring to the vet, and you can do this in a double sealed plastic or ziplock bag, then refrigerate until your appointment. Your vet will be able to examine the sample for parasites or infection. 

Your reptile should have a vet visit at least yearly, even if they appear completely healthy. Signs that your reptile needs to go to the vet include inappetance, failure to produce faeces after feeding, lethargy, change in colour, injury, swelling, or bleeding. 

Reptiles do not require regular parasite prevention, and book a vet visit if you are concerned about parasites, as they will be able to prescribe an accurate and safe treatment. 

Handling Stimson’s and Children’s Pythons

Regular, gentle handling is the key to helping your snake feel comfortable being handled, reducing the likelihood of your snake striking or biting. Stimson’s and Children’s pythons are usually very amenable to handling and are gentle snakes. Snakes can be handled up to twice a day, but ensure that each session does not last longer than your snake’s comfort. In the beginning, handling sessions should last no more than 10 minutes. 

Signs of comfort include slow, deliberate movements, and regular tongue flicks. Tongue flicks are your snake’s way of assessing their surroundings by smell, and slow, regular flicks indicate that your snake is curiously figuring out what’s going on. Signs of discomfort include rapid movements or your snake trying to escape into a dark place, such as a sleeve. Rapid, irregular tongue flicks may indicate that your snake is unsure or concerned about what is happening. 

Never allow children or people inexperienced with reptiles to handle your snake unsupervised, as injury or escape may occur. They can be surprisingly fast when they’re worried! 

Natural Sunlight for Pythons

Regular exposure to natural sunlight is good for all reptiles, and this can be a positive handling experience for you and your snake! On sunny days where it is not too cold, it can be enjoyable to sit outside with your snake and a good book. Ensure that your snake can’t get out of the area easily, and can’t get away and hide or become lost. 

At least an hour a week is a good minimum for natural sunlight, and there’s no such thing as too much natural sunlight for Australian reptiles.

Snake Shedding

All snakes will shed regularly, and young snakes may shed as often as every 3 weeks when they are growing rapidly. Signs that your snake is going into shed include duller colouration, behavioural change, and cloudy eyes. The cloudy eyes are the “spectacles,” or clear scales over the eyes, starting to separate from the new scales underneath in preparation for shed.

If it looks like your snake is preparing to shed, the best thing to do is ensure that the water source has been freshly cleaned and refilled, ensure that the temperature is optimal, then leave your snake alone until they have finished shedding. This includes stopping feeding and handling. If your snake is due for a feed, they can be fed after the shed is complete.

Handling or feeding your snake when they are coming into shed is stressful, and it can also lead to dysecdysis, or a pathological/abnormal shed where the shed doesn’t come off in one piece. If you are concerned your snake hasn’t shed properly, book a vet visit, and do not attempt to peel off any shed. This may make the problem worse. 

And finally, the most important thing to remember when starting your reptile-keeping journey - enjoy! Reptiles are unique, interesting pets that have a lot of joy to give, and individuals will develop their own special personalities as time goes on. Pythons are rewarding pets, and many will become friendly and interactive, and learn to recognize their keepers as they grow. 

Further Reading

Want to know more? Take a look at our other reptile articles:

Beginners Guide to Reptile Care

5 Reptile Facts for People Who Aren't Herpetologists

Reptile Supplements

Want to know more? Check out our Discover Page for more tips from our expert vets on keeping your pets happy and healthy.