# Rough Scaled Python



## Central Scotland Reptiles (Nov 23, 2008)




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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Lovely Fraser!
Any more pics of the whole animal/perching etc, pretty please 🙏 

Andy


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## LiasisUK (Sep 30, 2019)

Great snake


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## helsbels (Jan 30, 2012)

Central Scotland Reptiles said:


> View attachment 369668


Gorgeous. My dream snake!


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## Central Scotland Reptiles (Nov 23, 2008)

helsbels said:


> Gorgeous. My dream snake!


I have 1.2 of them (allbeit still youngsters)so check back in a few years.


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Central Scotland Reptiles said:


> I have 1.2 of them (allbeit still youngsters)so check back in a few years.


Fraser, would you tease us with progression photos, pretty please? 🙏 
I am intrigued by the species, just as interested in the juveniles as breeding adults.
I see there is one for sale on MM, just a little outside my priceband.


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## Central Scotland Reptiles (Nov 23, 2008)

Swindinian said:


> Fraser, would you tease us with progression photos, pretty please? 🙏
> I am intrigued by the species, just as interested in the juveniles as breeding adults.
> I see there is one for sale on MM, just a little outside my priceband.


All three are in simple quarantine tubs at the moment so there really isn't much to show at the moment.


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Central Scotland Reptiles said:


> All three are in simple quarantine tubs at the moment so there really isn't much to show at the moment.
> 
> View attachment 370092


Hey Fraser, thanks for indulging me 😁

I am curious about their disposition; I would assume they are similar to jungle carpets, a bit reactive and flighty? Or perhaps they are more prone to a ‘freeze/still‘ reaction to blend in? Or do they stand their ground with a good dose of sass?

Two of my Tully jungles, I collected shortly after hatching, just after their first shed, and I initiated the feeding trials (which was a steep learning curve for me, but glad to have gained the experience).

I started them in tubs on coco husk substrate, but curiously, they didn’t proceed to strike feeding until I switched to kitchen tissue as substrate.
Might have been coincidence in the timing, but I did wonder if the less 3D textured ground reduced their potential for distractions……..
Young jungle carpets, more than any other snake species I have kept, seem in the early stages to get easily distracted during the feeding process, and more prone to getting ‘cold feet’.

They started off being assist fed with adult mouse legs (I gather this is a trick GTP breeders sometimes use to get them started), to supply some protein, and bone calcium. The leg is small enough to place inside the mouth, and kinda sticks to their teeth, and is light enough to stay there. Once they calm down, and realise it is hard to spit out, they learn it is easier to swallow.

I know some breeders play the waiting game, and others go full-on force feeding pinkies or fuzzies, and many US breeders initiate with live food, which are not very ‘appetising’ options for me.

I imagine if we had access to skinks etc, Morelia neonates would always be easier to get going, but where we start them on rodents, they are perhaps not as tuned in or stimulated.

The other thing I found with mine is they like to hang down and cling on to something and I used garden fence mesh rolled into an oval. 

I see a lot of Morelia keepers raising neonates with just one or two ground hides, which surprises me that they take to this, as they seem to like to be off the ground? But I suppose they are adaptable. 
I have since found some of mine taking to ground hides, although their preferred would be elevated kitchen roll cores in early days.

I don’t know whether my experiences chime with yours or contrast, but certainly excited to hear how yours progress 😁

Andy


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## Central Scotland Reptiles (Nov 23, 2008)

Swindinian said:


> Hey Fraser, thanks for indulging me 😁
> 
> I am curious about their disposition; I would assume they are similar to jungle carpets, a bit reactive and flighty? Or perhaps they are more prone to a ‘freeze/still‘ reaction to blend in? Or do they stand their ground with a good dose of sass?
> 
> ...


All three of mine have a calm disposition and I can pick them up without any fuss. I have not kept enough of them to know whether this is typical or not.

They love cork tubes and this is where I find them most often. One of the females I was told was a shy feeder but she has fed every time I have offered, I attribute that to a couple of things the first being to feed the at night as they are quite active after dark, second is to feed them from below and third touch their 'neck' with the prey - this seems to initiate a strike and coil reaction instantly.

Something that did concern me a couple of times is that they have a worrying tenancy to start eating the prey mid body and almost fold it in half as they swallow - this can create an abnormally and worryingly large bulge in their neck - I needn't worry as they don't seem to mind bit it can be a 'twitchy bum moment' the first time you see it. I suspect their teeth do not allow them to manipulate the prey as easily as other snakes?

They really are a joy to keep and once they complete their period in quarantine will be given larger enclosures so I can watch them go about their business.

Mark O'Shea done a programme on them and I seem to remember watching it but not been able to track it down due to issues with the licensing or something.


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