With the move to our new premises we decided to have a dedicated “Marc Mense” section, this is a showcase of 30 vivarium’s each filled with a beautiful Python, this enables us to show the best examples of Marc’s complete range of Pythons.
With the massive advancement in the Carpet Python scene in the last three years we have decided to add some information on the developments and morphs.
The Carpet Python scene is looking like the Royal Python scene 15 years ago, with a number of “base morphs” combine this with the number of possible intergrades, the possibilities of producing new morphs is high and the combinations endless, making Carpets a real investment.
Firstly we would like to dispel a couple of common myths surrounding the Carpet/Morelia Pythons
1. Carpet Pythons are aggressive and always bite:
Often young Carpets are called aggressive, unfortunately an aggressive feeding response held by hatchling Carpets is mislabelled as aggression. Unlike species such as Royals, Carpets are vigorous feeders from day one, after around 6 months of age with regular cage interaction 99% of Carpets calm to trustworthy snakes. Although bites from hatchling Carpets do not hurt and tend not to draw blood if you are unhappy with being bitten a pair of gloves will be more than enough to deter bites until the snake has calmed into a routine of feeding and handling. Not all hatchling Carpets bite we have had many hatchling that have shown no interest in biting so do not believe that it is in there nature to do so.
2. Carpet Pythons grow to large sizes:
Coastal Carpets have been know to grow over 12 ft but other subspecies such as Papuan Carpets on average grow to a easily manageable 4.5 ft and Jungles up to 6ft.
3. Carpets are dull and brown:
Again this is a common misconception, Carpet Pythons are the real “ugly ducklings” of the snake world but just like the story with each shed Carpets get better and better and after a year you would not believe it was the same snake. This is one of our favourite things about the Carpets, unlike most snakes that dull with age Carpets get better and better especially the Jags. We have added some photos later on to show this process in action.
Carpets reside in the Morelia genus of Pythons, which is spilt into the spilota species, containing a number of different subspecies:
Jungle Carpet ... Morelia spilota cheynei
Coastal Carpet ... Morelia spilota mcdowelli
Papuan Carpet ... Morelia spilota harrisoni
Inland Carpet ... Morelia spilota metcalfi
Diamond Python ... Morelia spilota spilota
Darwin’s Carpet ... Morelia spilota variegata
Southern Carpet ... Morelia spilota imbricata
Others in the Morelia genus that are often crossed with the Carpets include:
Central Carpet Morelia bredli
Green tree Python Morelia viridis
Scrub Pythons Morelia amethistina
for further information on these species we recommend reading Marc Mense articles in the October 2010 issue of “Practice Reptile Keeping” magazine.
Here are some photos of the 'wild phases' of the Morelia/Carpet Pythons:
Photo's: Marc Mense
Photo's: Marc Mense
Inland Carpet
Darwin’s Carpet
These are the most commonly kept of the Carpet /Morelia species.
Carpet/Morelia morphs: below is where we aim to show you the ever growing morphs with a brief description of each.
The biggest breakthrough in the Carpet Python morph world has to be the Jaguar. In 1994 Jan Eric Engell of the Jaguar Breeding Centre produced a unique looking hatchling from a pure coastal Morelia spilota mcdowelli to coastal breeding, this hatchling had a light tan background with light brown blotches. Over the space of three years the colour changed with more and more yellow developing as it matured and no black tipping occurred, as is commonly the case with other Carpets. Jan named this snake the Jaguar Carpet due to its colour and pattering and in 1997 the name was brought to the Herp scene for the first time.
Jan then when on to prove the trait was genetic, by breeding the Jaguar to a number of unrelated females, from these breedings Jan was able to prove the Jaguar gene to be co-dominant, with 50% of the clutch being Jaguars the others being “siblings” normal coastal Carpets. Although these do not hold the Jaguar gene, they in our experience have brilliant colours and do not look like the normal wild phase. The Jaguar started a big interest into the Carpet morph scene being co dominant the Jaguar gene has been bred into a number of the different Carpet Python subspecies with some amazing results below are some examples of the different Jaguars:
Another big development came with another species of Carpet the Jungle, Morelia spilota cheynei this was the Zebra, another co-dominant morph that when bred together produces the Super Zebra.
Photos: Marc Mense
The Granite morph came from the Papuan Carpet, Morelia spilota harrisoni and was proved to be recessive
The Axanthic another recessive morph
Photos: Marc Mense
The Caramel Carpet is a another co-dominant morph, Super Caramels have been produced from Caramel to Caramel breeding
The Albino like with many other species is the biggest breakthrough since the Jaguar in the Carpet Python world produced from a Darwin’s Carpet, Morelia spilota variegata. The Albino Carpet is a truly amazing snake and the potential when bred with the other Carpet morphs has put the scene right on the map, unfortunately pictures cannot do them justice but anyone who has seen these in the flesh can appreciate there sheer beauty.
These are the main current base morphs of the Carpets, in recent years they have been combined together with some amazing results the possibilities are truly endless and anyone has the chance of producing a new Carpet morph making these a real exciting investment below are some examples of the newest morphs and combinations
Photos: Marc Mense
 Photos: Marc Mense
Photos: Marc Mense
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