JCPs and Rats Question

Who decided that Jungle Carpet Pythons will not easily switch to rats? I have been thinking about this as I cannot find someone personally who has had a problem. I have read many care sheets that say it is hard for them to switch, yet I do not know anyone who has had difficulties. I only hear about the issue of the snakes not switching to rats after "I know someone who has had problems..." Please enlighten me.

I have a trio of JCPs that I just fed today rats for the first time, all three did not even think if they were going to eat or not. One jumped out of the cage going for the rat before I could even toss it in. Maybe I do not have enough of them to find one that is a trouble maker.

I am guessing most of the first caresheets written on them were from people who were the first to own a JCP. Being new to captivity(was it about the early 1990s that they were being kept and bred in captivity?) it would make sense why they may have had trouble. All the issues involved with new species, feeding habits, and being wild caught(big issue). I may have just answered my own question.

Thanks for reading!

For what it's worth, I've never had a problem either. All of mine have a terrific feeding response as well. I was laughing at your post because I was trying to figure out what the question was! I am glad to see you answered it. Now that's not the same as talking to yourself is it?

The younger the jungle the less problems are encountered.
Jungles do have a tendency to imprint after so long, but it's not as bad as it has been made out to be in the past. I had a very large adult pair once that absolutely would not take a rat. They were so large I still wonder if they were indeed pure jungles. The male was 7 feet and the female was 8 feet. Keeping two snakes that size fed on adult mice is no fun at all. They would eat 10-12 each per feeding.

When I'm raising jungles I start offering rat pinkies as soon as they are large enough to take them. At that age I pretty much never have a problem. If you wait until they're so big that it's takes two adult mice to make a meal then start trying to offer them rats your chances of having trouble are increased. This is of course more true with some individuals that others.

Michael,
Like any other snake, sometimes JCPs can be picky or finicky eaters. All it takes is one person to have that experience, and word spreads; though I am sure that for this story to have become as widespread as it is, it either happened to a lot of people or it happened to somebody big (name wise, that is). Sydney (RIP), although not a pure JCP, was a pain in the butt for a long time - slow to start, wouldn't take rats for the longest time, got stuck on gerbils...I did finally get her to the point that she took rats every time, but it took quite a while (years).

I was wondering if the trouble was with adult jungles, I found it amuzing to see mine with such a strong feed response to them that I was wondering if it was just another mild truth. Like my Suriname boas just copulated(finally) for the first time two days ago, somehow they missed the chapter in the breeding book that says they should breed between November and April, either way I am pleased that I may have babies from those two.

Thanks for the feedback. Oh Ed, the question is the first line of my post, I mixed it in there pretty good.

The care sheet was probably written by someone who had Arboreal snakes LOL for some reason some of these guys can be a pain to switch.

My Carpets have been pretty easy but I have a few Emeralds and Chondros that would sooner starve.Had an ATB that would not touch a Rat, I tried to get him to switch for almost 6 months and he was gonna starve before touching a rat..Randy

Michael,

Though I had heard the same story, I have never had any issues with them taking rats either.